Rail Engineer - Issue 127 - May 2015

Engineer

by rail engineers for rail engineers

MAY 2015 - ISSUE 127

The Harbury slip The cause - an unknown fault zone!

THAMESLINK TRAINS AND DEPOTS With trains under test, arrangements are being made to house and maintain them.

BORING, BORING, BORING

RAILTEX PREVIEW

Tunnel too small? Just dig a bigger one on the same alignment. But is it then the same tunnel, or a new one?

Everything you want to know about this year’s show. Stands, seminars, lists, plans and even dinners!

www.railengineer.uk

@StobartRailLtd WALSALL TO RUGELEY TRACK LOWERING Stobart Rail were contracted to provide a ‘Design and Construct’ track lowering solution for 10 structures to enable future electrification.

The electrified railway line will provide a cleaner, greener and more regular service for passengers using the Chase Line.

Proposed as part of the Department for Transport’s ‘High Level Output Statement’ published in 2012, 25kV AC overhead line electrification is now being installed between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley in the West Midlands. The project will deliver the output requirements to run passenger and freight hauled units powered by electric traction supplies on the lines.

Project overview Network Rail selected Stobart Rail as the contractor to deliver the track lowering between Walsall and Rugeley.

Adopting a partnership approach from contract award, the Network Rail team supported the experienced Stobart Rail team.

The project delivery strategy was developed utilising in-house expertise, including resources and innovative plant such as the Ballast Undercutter, ensuring value engineering delivery throughout each section of the project. The Ballast Undercutter was deployed at Hednesford and provided a solution whereby the track was lowered without removing any components, thereby reducing risk and increasing productivity.

Collaboration with all delivery partners, and third parties that worked on the project, was efficiently co-ordinated to minimise disruption and negate possession over-run risks.

This was undertaken with a ‘plan-do’ attitude, ensuring that deliverability reviews gave the required confidence to the Network Rail team.

This project was successfully completed, with its objectives delivered safely and on time, within budget and exceeding the expectations of the Network Rail team who were overseeing the activities.

Our Key Project Achievements:

•

6000 metres of track successfully lowered

•

1500 metres of track drainage successfully renewed

•

The deepest track lowered was 550mm

•

Combined 650 hours of disruptive possession access

•

Zero train delay minutes, with all possession access handed back early

•

25,000 man hours worked by Stobart Rail

•

No reportable safety incidents occurred throughout the entire project

•

In excess of 40,000 tonnes of new ballast installed

•

80,000 tonnes of spoil removed for recycling.

Matthew Taylor Project Manager t. 01228 882 300 e. matt.taylor@stobartrail.com Andrew Sumner Business Development and Stakeholder Manager t. 01228 882 300 e. andrew.sumner@stobartrail.com Dave Richardson Plant Manager t. 01228 882 300 e. david.richardson@stobartrail.com Gary Newton Contracts and Estimating Manager t. 01228 882 300 e. gary.newton@stobartrail.com

Date completed: April 2015

stobartrail.com

Rail Engineer • May 2015

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Contents

Boring, Boring, Boring Preparing to re-bore one half of Farnsworth Tunnels.

30 Action is the key to success

62 LU Northern Line goes CBTC The signal upgrade that went largely unnoticed.

74 International Business with a French Flavour

78

Thameslink Testing and Maintaining Class 700 is on test – and the depots are nearly ready.

22

Finding Space Where to put 1,140 carriages which stretch for 23 kilometres.

26

Urbis et Orbis…

What does it take to win a golden iPad?

36

Man on a Mission Bringing Land Rovers to a rail track near you.

40

What is TCMS? Train Control & Management System – but what does it do?

44

Chiltern Railways Fleet Maintenance A visit to Aylesbury to see what’s what.

48

Time to Tool Up! Keeping tools in drawers makes them easy to find.

51

Maintenance Shed Pipework It’s not just a load of hot air – it’s sound engineering.

54

A Reliable Approach to Maintenance Planning ahead using RCM and PIPs.

56

Supporting and Improving Train Depot Operations A global approach to good practice in depots.

59

Asset Inspection and Information Now there’s an app for it you can see it all on your iPad.

66

Access Restricted: Situation Normal for Corsham The new footbridge had to be lifted over a house.

70

Let There be Light!

Blowing cables through pipes – some 2,000 metres long.

72

Looking Forward to Railtex The industry will be at the NEC for three days in May.

80

Networking and Awards at Railtex How to exhibit and STILL enjoy yourself.

82

Go on – learn something!

Rail Engineer-organised seminar programme at Railtex.

84

We’re looking to highlight the latest projects and innovations in

Stations

Surveying

in the July issue of Rail Engineer.

Got a fantastic innovation? Working on a great project? Call Nigel on 01530 816 445 NOW!

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

5

Editor Grahame Taylor grahame.taylor@therailengineer.com

Rail Techs this is your month!

Production Editor

Grahame Taylor

Nigel Wordsworth nigel@rail-media.com

Production and design Adam O’Connor adam@rail-media.com Matthew Stokes

Perhaps you were alerted to something slightly different about Rail Engineer this month - even before you got to open its pages. It was probably the crash as it hit the deck when it came through your door. This month our magazine is quite heavy. And that’s because it’s Railtex month! We’ve a full briefing on what’s happening: hundreds of exhibitors, three keynote speeches, technical seminars and the Railtex Awards dinner. With an introduction to the exhibition scene by Michael Wilton, all it needs is for you to go there. Register now to save yourself 20 quid on the door.

matt@rail-media.com

Engineering writers chris.parker@therailengineer.com clive.kessell@therailengineer.com collin.carr@therailengineer.com david.bickell@therailengineer.com david.shirres@therailengineer.com graeme.bickerdike@therailengineer.com jane.kenyon@therailengineer.com mungo.stacy@therailengineer.com paul.darlington@therailengineer.com peter.stanton@therailengineer.com simon.harvey@therailengineer.com steve.bissell@therailengineer.com stuart.marsh@therailengineer.com

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An early Victorian cutting dug at great depth in dodgy geology - it was bound to end in tears, if not large quantities of moving hillside. That’s Harbury for you. It’s always been a bit wayward and, as Collin Carr tells us, this year it really excelled itself, closing the line between Leamington Spa and Banbury for the best part of six weeks and threatening to pull the end off a tunnel in the bargain. Now the geology has been explained and the cutting tamed.

How do you maintain 14 miles of new trains? As Nigel Wordsworth has discovered, the new trains for the Thameslink services are on their way and depots are already being made ready for their arrival. Looking at their manufacture he finds that, in a futuristic twist, the world of 3D is now used to visualise all the stages of assembly. But why use the word futuristic? It’s now the present!

The stabling facilities for the Thameslink rolling stock are in a different league from provincial counterparts. They have to cater for 12 car units - not the odd 3 or 4. That’s the difference between London commuting and anywhere else. Sense prevails these days with serviceable rather than new trackwork being sourced from around the network. As Collin tells us, this can cause programming problems.

Simon Tew from Bombardier gives a comprehensive and fascinating insight into the world of onboard electronics, from train control systems and Automatic Selective Door Operation right through to the possibility of directing passengers to lighter loaded portions of a train. Commuters on platforms standing by ‘their’ door? No longer. Watch them move in tune with long line announcements!

Introducing Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) on a new metro system is no picnic. Doing the same for an existing deep level tube line without disruption is positively heroic. Plenty of lessons have been learnt, as Clive Kessell tells us, so installing CBTC on the Northern line had a head start. But there are several tricky junctions to consider.

Clive has also been off to Aylesbury with the IET Railway Technical & Professional Network to see some bubble cars - class 121 units as they are more officially known - along with the whole Chiltern

Railways’ fleet of slightly more modern rolling stock.

Everything is used intensively and the Aylesbury depot rises to the challenge of keeping everything on the move regardless of its vintage.

It was just last December that Clive gave us an article on cable blowing. So when Stuart Marsh (no stranger to cabling himself) had the opportunity for a factory visit he jumped at the chance. Now we have much more detail both of the cables themselves and of the blowing technique. Fibre has always led the way to new technologies. Now that it is so easy to install the whole game is raised.

Road/rail vehicles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They have become a breed of their own with many being more at home on rail rather than on the road. How heartening it is to see a company that has its feet firmly in both camps. The ubiquitous Land Rover is, of course, happy on road, off road and now on track as Stuart Marsh has seen recently - with oblique references to the novels of Stella Gibbons.

The electrification between Bolton and Euxton (pronounced Exton) Junction has always been complicated by the tunnels at Farnworth. There are twin bores and one of them is just too small. The solution, as Graeme Bickerdike enjoys telling us , is for the historic Hawkshaw tunnel to be obliterated - by a tunnelling machine. The title of his article is ‘Boring, boring, boring’. It’s far from it!

We had an invitation to a party in Liverpool recently.

It was jolly enough, with tea and buns and orange juice. Lots of photos, suits and some speeches.

Although it wasn’t a birthday, it did mark a significant event and the lucky star of the show won a golden iPad. All will be revealed.

Moving to darkest Wiltshire, we look briefly at a footbridge reconstruction in Corsham. It might have been in the middle of the countryside once, but houses have grown all around and that hasn’t made things easy.

But what’s underground nearby is a little sinister…

With Railtex just round the corner, Nigel has been off to France to sample a French equivalent. On the quiet, it was organised in the UK, but keep that to yourself.

Even the French telephone number was diverted to St Albans!

OPINION

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Twenty-four events later…

7

MICHAEL WILTON

With Railtex 2015 poised to open its doors shortly, this is a good time to take stock of the show and the role it plays for the industry. This year’s event will be the twelfth in a series of exhibitions that started with our first UK rail show, Light Rail 89 in Bristol, opened by the Minister for Public Transport at the time, Michael Portillo. And with the addition of our Infrarail exhibitions, Railtex 2015 will also be the 24th event we have organised for the industry in this country.

It is pleasing to see that some of the companies which exhibited at that Bristol event will be present at this latest show, even if a few of their names have changed. This thread of continuity has been an important factor in the success of Railtex, which acts as a barometer for the industry, judging by feedback from stakeholders. Rail is now much further up the political agenda than it was in the 1980s, with year-on-year increases in passenger numbers prompting unprecedented spending on expanding and improving the system - so to continue the meteorological analogy, the rail market is currently enjoying high pressure.

This has translated into an impressive gathering of companies at this year’s Railtex, all seeking a share of the business being generated by these record levels of investment. Railtex and Infrarail go a long way to making a reality of the aims of suppliers to the rail market, playing a vital role in showcasing innovations in technology and services, raising awareness of companies serving the industry and generally bringing together people who otherwise might not meet.

Deeper understanding We routinely carry out surveys at firms taking part in our exhibitions and analysis of the last Railtex confirm that it provided a highly successful business environment, with 98% of respondents saying they had received positive enquiries, and senior figures with some of the industry’s best known firms stating how important the event is to them.

Recognising that everyone is busy and time is precious, we are always keen to explore ways we can make a visit to one of our exhibitions more rewarding. In recent years we have successfully developed programmes featuring keynote speeches from leading industry figures, technical seminars and updates on key UK rail projects, staging these in the exhibition hall where they are open to all. With speakers

ranging from managers presenting innovative systems to government ministers, these attract big audiences and give people a chance to get a deeper understanding of the direction the industry is taking.

Our show partners play a valuable role in this, including Rail Engineer, which has devised this year’s Railtex industry seminars and helped with other parts of the programme. A glance at the line-up of speakers at Railtex 2015 confirms that we also have strong support from Network Rail, the Railway Industry Association and the Rail Supply Group as well as from many other key industry bodies. Also supporting the show is the Rail Alliance and UK Trade & Investment, the latter providing an important reminder that the show attracts overseas visitors interested in what British companies can offer to the wider global market.

Home market When rail industry exhibitions are discussed, the subject of InnoTrans often arises and there is no doubt that the Berlin event is a huge success.

However, this doesn’t detract from the vital and valuable role played by our own shows here in the UK. Many of the companies that exhibit at Railtex and Infrarail are very much focused on the domestic market. Given the current strength of that market and the opportunities it presents, this isn’t surprising.

Equally, while many of the engineers, managers and buyers who visit our shows have purchasing responsibility or influence, a good number of them are unlikely to undertake trips to overseas events. So we feel that our shows deliver a highly effective but relaxed environment in which new ideas can be presented and people can interact and discuss innovations and trends in the market without being overwhelmed.

My responsibilities include both our UK rail exhibitions. The origin of Infrarail goes back to 1994, when it was set up mainly as a forum

for companies seeking business opportunities resulting from the imminent privatisation of Britain’s railway infrastructure.

The development and management of the network has undergone many changes since then, and its continuing expansion is now a higher national priority than it ever was in the latter part of the last century. Alongside Network Rail’s investment plans under CP5, we have HS2, big TfL projects like Crossrail and London Underground development schemes, plus light rail projects nationwide, all attracting great interest from the supply industry.

Long-term commitment With activity in the sector running at such a high level, we remain committed to Infrarail, which continues to focus exclusively on fixed railway assets. Exhibitors and visitors at the last Infrarail in 2014 will recall that alongside it we launched our first CITE - Civil Infrastructure & Technology Exhibition. Staging the two shows together was very well received by everyone taking part, confirming our view that there is a lot of common ground between the two sectors, with plenty of opportunities for the exchange of ideas and skills. As a result of that success, we plan to run the two events simultaneously again in London next year.

That is in the near future. Meanwhile, we are always ready to listen to suggestions for developing both exhibitions in response to the changing needs of the industry. We also hope to meet many readers of Rail Engineer at Railtex.

For a free visit to the show, remember to preregister online at www.railtex.co.uk.

Michael Wilton is exhibition director at Mack Brooks Exhibitions with responsibility for the Railtex and Infrarail railway industry shows.

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NEWS

Rail Engineer • May 2015

The Italian state railways (Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane) ran the new Frecciarossa 1000 train between Milan and Rome at the end of April.

World’s fastest train - part 1

Built in Italy by a partnership of Bombardier and AnsaldoBreda, the new train - officially a V300ZEFIRO - has a top commercial speed of 360km/h and is capable of reaching 400km/h - making it the fastest regular passenger train. At the moment, it is limited to 300km/h due to infrastructure restrictions but will shortly commence testing at 350km/h.

Bearing in mind that this 2015 launch is 10 years ahead of HS2, what speeds will trains reach when the British network comes into service? Currently, the network is being planned for a 400km/h maximum speed but the designs are future-proofed so that this can be changed later if necessary. That will partly depend on the trains’ top speed, and also on the trade-off between that and energy consumption.

A total of 50 eight-car Frecciarossa 1000 trains have been ordered. The first will enter passenger service in June.

World’s fastest train - part 2

If you do away with the wheels, you can go faster. That’s what Japan’s JR Central railway has done, building a Maglev railway for test purposes between Ōtsuki and Tsuru in Yamanashi Prefecture which was then further extended to 42.8km in 2013.

Maglev (MAGnetic LEVitation) uses magnets to both make the train hover just above a flat metal ‘track’ and also to propel it along. With no rolling resistance, and a streamlined shape, high speeds are possible. A manned train hit 603km/h (375mph) - a world record - towards the end of April, just a few days before the Frecciarossa 1000’s first run.

Eventually, similar trains will run on the Chuo Shinkansen line connecting Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. Although construction commenced in 2014, it is not expected to open until 2027 as far as Nagoya and 2045 all the way to Osaka. Some 90% of the total 286km route will be underground or in tunnels.

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NEWS

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Steam SPAD raises questions The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is investigating a “dangerous occurrence” after a train passed a signal at danger (SPAD) on the approach to Wooton Basset junction in Wiltshire recently.

A steam-hauled special, consisting of Battle of Britain class locomotive Tangmere, its tender and 13 coaches, was on a service from Bristol Temple Meads to Southend using the Great Western main line through Bath. Just west of Swindon is Wooton Basset Junction where the main line is joined by the line from Bristol Parkway, the Severn Tunnel and South Wales.

A train had recently emerged from the South Wales line (the Badminton Up line) and signal SN45 on the main line was still at red, although the signalling system had already set the points ready for Tangmere.

Having passed the signal at danger, the train finally came to a

standstill across the junction.

This generated quite a bit of speculation in the Rail Engineer office. The locomotive was fitted with both AWS (Automatic Warning System) and TPWS (Train Protection and Warning System) so how hadn’t the driver realised what was happening? And why hadn’t the train been brought to a standstill automatically?

The RAIB website states: “Evidence shows that the driver and fireman … took an action which cancelled the effect of the AWS braking demand after a short period and a reduction in train speed of only around 8 mph. The action taken also had the effect of making subsequent AWS or TPWS brake demands ineffective.”

While there was again much comment on this, the RAIB investigation has to take its course.

Meanwhile, Network Rail has issued a suspension notice to the train’s owner, West Coast Railway

Company Limited, stating that no services may run on any routes and requiring various actions be taken by 15 May at which time, if Network Rail is satisfied, the notice will be withdrawn.

PHOTO: RWENDLAND

Ricardo acquires Lloyd’s Register Rail Engineering and consultancy company Ricardo plc is set to purchase the international rail consultancy and assurance business that is Lloyd’s Register Rail for £42.5 million. The deal is expected to go through by 1 July.

Explaining the reasoning behind the move, a Ricardo spokesperson stated: “Rail is a key area for strategic growth for Ricardo and this acquisition will enable the group to accelerate activity levels and enhance Ricardo’s reputation in the sector.

“The acquisition of LR Rail and the future growth of this business is driven by the increasing global interest in urban and high speed networks and the integration of critical and complex rail technologies as governments respond to accelerating levels of urbanisation. Ricardo sees a strong and increasing demand for technical consulting and assurance services in the rail sector. A combination with LR Rail will bring an extended offering to

an enlarged global client base of which there is limited overlap and significant opportunities for joint growth.”

The business will be branded Ricardo Rail. Current LR Rail

managing director Paul Seller will take on the role of managing director of the Ricardo Rail business and will report into the CEO of Ricardo. A standalone assurance management

entity, to be known as Ricardo Certification Ltd, will also be established to hold and manage all future accreditations, enabling the complete independence of assurance services.

NEWS

Rail Engineer • May 2015

11

Francis How’s seven-year innovation journey Francis How ran the first Technology and Innovation Conference held by the Railway Industry Association (RIA) in 2009. At the time phones were too slow to be smart and tablets were only for headaches.

This year’s conference was Francis’s last as RIA’s technical director as he is to become the IRSE’s (Institution of Railway Signal Engineers) chief executive later this year.

Addressing the 240 present at this year’s event, Francis referred to his seven-year innovation journey since joining RIA and noted that, at the first conference, innovation was a word rarely mentioned in the industry.

Since then, much has been achieved. For example, organisations such as the Transport KTN (2010) and RRUK- A (2011) have been formed. RIA has started its Unlocking Innovation scheme in 2012. There had been a significant increase in innovation funding with the first “Accelerating Innovation in Rail” completion launched in 2011, innovation built into Network Rail’s CP5 settlement

in 2013, the DfT requiring franchises to include R&D spend in 2014 and the European Shift2Rail scheme offering significant funds.

At the conference David Clarke, RSSB’s director of innovation, paid tribute to Francis’s passion for innovation and the work done by RIA to promote railway innovation. This was echoed by Clare Moriarty, director general of the Department for Transport’s Rail Executive. She felt that RIA were to be congratulated on these conferences which she considered to be “the key innovation event in the rail industry”. She also wished to thank Jim Lupton, RIA’s deputy technical director, for his work to facilitate rail innovation through RIA’s Unlocking Innovation workshops.

The theme of this year’s conference was technology transfer from other industries.

Speakers from Rolls Royce, Riccardo, 3M and McLaren gave insights into how they promote innovation, including the need to align incentives. The potential benefit to the rail industry was clear from the examples of crossindustry technology transfer provided, for example the use of McLaren’s F1 technology to improve efficiency at Heathrow.

A feature of the conference is the finals of the annual innovation funding award competition

run by RIA and on behalf of FutureRailway. Last year, this was won by Brecknell Willis for the development of an activelycontrolled pantograph. There were 25 entries this year - three finalists were selected and the winner was Omnicom Engineering for its lowcost advanced positioning system for railway rolling stock. The other finalists were Far-UK and TWI who wished to develop structural composites for trains and Interfleet for its ‘Trains made Easy’ app.

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NEWS

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Ghost stations part 1 - Down Street London’s underground network has been around for over 150 years.

It’s therefore not surprising that, in that time, a few changes have been made. Stations have been added and others closed. Now, Transport for London wants to capitalise on some of those forgotten assets.

During a recent review of all its disused assets, the commercial development team identified seven stations and one deep level shelter with commercial potential. These were then referred to consultant architects Carmody Groarke and the result is that the former Down Street station has been placed on the market for lease.

Down Street station was opened on the Great Northern Piccadilly & Brompton Railway on 15 March 1907 and closed on 22 May 1932 due to low passenger usage because of its close proximity to Hyde Park Corner and Green Park (formerly Dover Street) stations. Used as a shelter during

the war, it was more recently used for storage. Now you have the chance to lease it for other purposes.

Disused underground assets have been leased for commercial purposes before. The deep level shelter at Clapham North is used to grow salad greens for restaurants and markets using hydroponic systems and LED lighting.

The similar shelter at Clapham South is on the TfL list, as are the stations at Aldwych, Angel, Highbury & Islington, Highgate, St Mary’s Whitechapel and York Road, all of which are disused in full or in part.

Ghost stations part 2 - Southwark Park Southwark Park station in Bermondsey, south-east London, was opened by the South Eastern and Chatham Railway in 1902 and closed, along with neighbouring stations Spa Road and Deptford, in 1915 due to wartime economies. It never reopened due to competition from local trams and buses.

While the island platforms were on top of a series of wide arches, the ticket hall was at ground level. After closure, the remains of that ticket hall were visible from Corbetts Lane.

As part of the Thameslink programme, workers from Network Rail and its contractors are building the Bermondsey dive-under.

While working on the elevated section, the footings for the 170-yard long platforms at Southwark Park were uncovered. From there, the team burrowed down into the old station offices.

We are now working up in the roof space of the former ticket hall to fill in the old sky lights, ready to carry the final track alignment,” said project manager Greg Thornett.

“Much of the existing stretch of viaduct will be replaced by the ramps into and out of the new dive under, but the arch that used to house the old booking hall will remain.”

Rail Engineer • May 2015

13

Train companies for sale Hard on news that Hitachi plans to buy troubled Italian train builder AlsaldoBreda, and that America’s General Electric (GE) is negotiating to buy French group Alstom - though probably not its railway operations - comes word of a third possible takeover. A report in the Montreal Gazette claimed that Bombardier may sell its rail unit, with a figure mentioned of C$5.4 billion.

The report continues to claim that “Bombardier is discussing options with bankers about its rail business that could include a full or partial sale of the business or an initial public offering.”

It seems that recent profits in the rail business have been supporting the company’s aerospace operations. Shares rose at the revelation.

Bombardier spokespersons in Canada and the UK have declined to comment.

14

Rail Engineer • May 2015

The Harbury slip The cause - an unknown fault zone!

COLLIN CARR

Rail Engineer • May 2015

15

I

t must have been a great sense of relief for everyone when Network Rail announced on Friday 13 March, three weeks earlier than the expected date, that the line between Leamington Spa and Banbury was now open and safe for trains to run. This was less than six weeks after the 350,000 tonne landslip extending along more than 150 metres of embankment had occurred at Harbury Tunnel cutting on 31 January.

The route carries more than 50 freight trains and 80 passenger trains every day and, although the two tracks were not directly affected by the new slip, it was clear that the potential for further movement was significant and therefore the route had to be closed and a solution quickly found.

Largest man made cutting The railway, built by Brunel, came to the village of Harbury in 1847 as part of the construction of the main Oxford to Birmingham GWR line. The cutting is located to the north of the village and, at the time, it was considered to be a significant engineering feat. At over 34 metres deep the cutting was the largest man-made cutting in the world that was dug entirely by hand through Blue Lias clay. It was completed in 1852 and, as was often the case, the workers employed to build the line lived in housing constructed in the village.

There is a history of geotechnical failures associated with the cutting so it has been closely monitored for any movement for many years. When the landslip occurred, work was nearing completion on an earlier shallow, one metre deep, 20 metres wide landslip at the same site and J Murphy and Sons, Network Rail’s emergency earthworks contractor in LNW, was on site completing this work valued at £2 million, re-grading the slope, installing counterfort drains and removing debris from the toe of the cutting.

Just before Murphy had been due to start permanent works on the two-metre slip in the summer of 2014, our friend the Great Crested Newt, surfaced. The site is already a SSSI because of its butterflies and there are bats and badgers as well, so appropriate protective measures were put in place. As this took some time, this work could not start until September 2014, with the onset of much wetter conditions.

Slips were a regular occurrence The wetter conditions did not help the stability of the cutting at all and small slips like the one being repaired have occurred on average every four or five years. During 2013/14, the rainfall in this area was very heavy. The geological mapping of the area showed that there was completely or partially-weathered Blue Lias clay, embedded with mudstone, resting on a near horizontal limestone band which was jointed to form

blocks of various sizes and allowed water seepage after rainfall. However, unbeknown to the engineers involved, a vertical fault line of limestone backed by mudstone ran along the cutting parallel to, and located approximately 35 metres away from, the railway tracks.

This impermeable fault line was effectively facilitating a head of water that was ten metres higher behind the fault line than in front. After heavy rainfall, it is hypothesised that this vertical differential caused the latest slip to shift in such a dramatic way.

Karl Budge, Network Rail’s route delivery director, explained that this fault zone made its presence known as the earlier planned work was nearing completion. Small tension cracks appeared along the fault zone and initial movement of approximately 10mm per day was being monitored. The deepening of the counterfort drains helped to release the water pressure to a certain extent and stabilise the slope. However, counteracting this benefit was the previous removal of material downside of the fault line. This reduction in loading toward the toe of the embankment further exacerbated the problem and, in late January, the earth started to move.

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne (left) and Secretary of State Patrick McLoughlin visit the site.

16

Rail Engineer • May 2015 Movement detected

Viewing the work in the first few days of activity.

Conventional methods for monitoring the slope’s stability had proved adequate for many years and there was a grid system of pegs and inclinometers in place.

Engineers were carrying out theodolite monitoring on a regular basis, plus there was a full time watchman on hand at the time. He was the person who first noticed the initial movement over a 160 metre length of the cutting. Even though the tracks themselves had not been affected by the movement, both lines were closed as a precautionary measure.

The slip stabilised after about five days. As a precautionary measure, matting was placed over the tracks in case of any further ground movement. RJM Ground Solutions had been working with Murphy on the smaller slip site offering design advice and it was the first, along with the Network Rail Asset Management team and the project engineers, to consider the nature of the failure mechanism for this far-more-significant and disruptive incident.

The closure of the route was causing significant disruption. A number of local politicians and the managing directors of freight operators, CrossCountry and Chiltern Railways all wanted to visit the site. Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail, also went to see things firsthand.

Before joining Network Rail, Mark had worked in the oil industry and he recommended that the team should widen its geological outlook and approach Schlumberger International for advice. Karl thought that this move, plus peer reviews from other geological experts, was very helpful, reassuring the team that the right approach was being taken. As he pointed out, ground engineering is not an exact science.

Immediate response As a team from Murphy was already on site, it was able to react immediately. Around the clock working was introduced immediately, working twelve-hour shifts. It was recognised that fatigue would be a significant risk so it was decided that the workforce should live close to site.

Appropriate facilities were installed in the site compound including a cook and canteen guaranteeing good hot food around the clock. On average there were 50 people on day shift and 30 at night throughout the work and the workforce stayed in local accommodation.

An exclusion zone was immediately imposed on and below the slip. Also, the tunnel portal was deemed unsafe until further investigation. A specific safe system of work was introduced involving a rope access system and Murphy was given overall control of all site access, monitoring and controlling who and why anyone needed to enter.

There were 30/40 machines working at any one time.

To ensure safe segregation of plant and pedestrians in the tight working area, two experienced and very capable Murphy foremen were put in total control of all site movement at all times, negating the requirement for multiple banksmen to be used. To assist them, Murphy ensured that there was a fulltime safety professional on site. In addition, Murphy brought in its highly skilled, directly employed personnel to bolster the site team already allocated to the project and cover the emergency.

Given the high profile media interest, and knowing that VIPs would want to visit the site, a viewing platform was constructed near to the car park thus avoiding the need for more people to walk onto the worksite whilst enabling the visitors to observe the progress being made.

Karl was very pleased to say that, throughout the whole period while the route was closed, no accidents were reported. That is definitely something to be proud of especially given the urgency of the work, the number of plant movements in such a limited area and the conditions at that time of year.

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

(Right) Note the damage on the left to the tunnel portal wing wall.

Soil nailing to stabilise the area close to the tunnel portal.

Detecting microscopic movement A more sophisticated monitoring system was installed on the embankment slopes and around the tunnel portal.

This included 80 wireless slope sensors and wall sensors for the tunnel portal. These sensors are designed to detect any microscopic movement and the information is collated

by DATUM Monitoring Services. The information is passed through their Control Centre which operates around the clock transmitting information to Network Rail via an internet site.

More than 320,000 tonnes of earth has been removed from the slip area using a fleet of Moxy dump trucks and excavators provided by various plant suppliers. The aim has been to move the toe of the embankment 30 metres away from the tracks, thus removing the fault line, and to re-profile the embankment. This has been completed and now a further 150,000 tonnes of earth is also being removed from further along the cutting - work now largely complete.

Additional land alongside the cutting has been rented to temporarily stockpile about 350,000 tonnes of material, known locally as Murphy’s Mount. More than

60,000 tonnes has been sent to a waste tip located one mile away. This tip is able to handle 2,500 tonnes per day. However, with more than 560,000 tonnes in total, it will take six months to transfer the stockpiled load to this tip.

Various options were considered, including a conveyer belt system to load the spoil onto road wagons or ballast trains. However, stockpiling then sending the spoil to the local tip was considered to be the most environmentally friendly approach and is the one adopted. Network Rail is continuing to investigate other local opportunities to accelerate removal of the remaining spoil.

Portal problems Vertical Access Ltd utilised a construction platform as well as roped access to enable soil nailing and netting work to take place to stabilise the ground adjacent to the tunnel portal. This was because the eastern extent of the slip had removed the end of the portal wing wall return such that support to this zone was lost.

Tony Gee and Partners carried out a stability check and designed an anchorage system for the end of the undamaged wall to replace the lost end-support. It also carried out a physical inspection of the condition of the portal wall via roped access supplemented by core drilling.

This was to both assess the immediate condition of the wall and, together with other investigations, to enable a future assessment of the long-term performance of the wall to be carried out. Adjacent to the wing wall the ground has been steepened with soil nailing to stabilise this section taking the loads back into soil undisturbed by the slip movements.

Rail Engineer • May 2015

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

Complementing the design approach by RJM Ground Solutions, Network Rail employed Tony Gee and Partners to carry out a review of the earthworks remediation as it was being carried out. With frequent round the table meetings on-site, Network Rail was continually appraised in detail of the evolving rationale of the earthworks remediation. This meant that reasoned assessments could be made regarding the improving condition of the earthworks as the site work progressed in order to secure the earliest safe return of rail traffic.

Responding to pressure It was recognised early in the process that, when under such pressure, the temptation is to declare the route fit for traffic before it is a realistic option. To avoid this temptation, robust criteria for re-opening the route to trains were agreed at an early stage. Design details were signed off, revised slope angles achieved, dewatering levels met, signalling tested, track alignment surveyed and structural checks of the tunnel portal carried out. It is estimated that the final cost of the physical works on site will be in excess of ÂŁ5 million.

(Lead) Just after the slip occured and (Right) the remedial work nears completion.

The site team worked closely with the Chiltern Railway and CrossCountry franchises and Karl was keen to point out that the collaboration worked extremely well. Communication was excellent and people at all levels were kept informed at all times. Local politicians were challenging yet supportive and they recognised that the time to reopen the route was when it was safe to do so and not before. The site has been likened to an open cast coal mining exercise - looking at the pictures, one can see why!

A more permanent solution still needs to be designed for the tunnel portal to complement the soil nailing that has been carried out. The cutting will be covered in topsoil and turned into grassland. Meanwhile, a road cleaner continues full time to help minimise the impact of this work on the village of Harbury and, in recognition of the invasive impact this work has had on the village, the library carpark has been completely resurfaced, one of the community initiatives undertaken.

And, just as in Brunel’s day, the temporary village and its inhabitants have moved on.

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

NIGEL WORDSWORTH

Thameslink testing and stabling

T

he Thameslink programme is going well. A complex project to upgrade the existing route through the centre of London while also adding new destinations, disruption was always bound to occur but, by 2018, it will be complete and a staggering 24 trains per hour each way will be running on a twin-track railway through the centre of London.

The £6.5 billion project will see the original destinations of Bedford and Brighton augmented by Peterborough and Cambridge, from whence trains will run through the Canal Tunnels, joining the ‘traditional’ Thameslink route just north of the St Pancras platforms. At the southern end of the route, trains

will terminate at Tattenham Corner, Horsham, Caterham, East Grinstead Sevenoaks and Maidstone in addition to Brighton.

All trains will call at St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink and Blackfriars. The latter station has already been completely rebuilt to span the Thames.

Many services will also stop at London Bridge, which is currently getting a makeover. The work required is extensive and long-suffering commuters are having to cope with an ever-changing situation. However, once complete, Thameslink’s services will have a dedicated path through the busy station for the first time ever.

All of this has been reported in Rail Engineer on many occasions, with Collin Carr, David Bickell and others keeping readers updated on developments.

But what of the trains? There was a big fuss when it was announced that Germany’s Siemens was to get the order rather than ‘British’ Bombardier, but what has happened since?

The order A total of 1,140 carriages were ordered from Siemens. The contract was first announced on 16 June 2011 when Cross London Trains Ltd, a consortium formed by Siemens Project Ventures GmbH, Innisfree Ltd., and 3i Infrastructure Ltd, was revealed as the preferred bidder. It was the last day of Railtex that year, and the Siemens staff were understandably in celebratory mood.

However, after delays in confirming the finance (a total of 19 banks were involved), the order was not signed

Rail Engineer • May 2015

until July 2013. By then, to hit production targets as the railway was still due to be complete in 2018, Siemens had already manufactured pre-series vehicles including bogies and traction equipment which were undergoing tests in Germany.

So once the go ahead was finally given, production could commence in earnest. Sixty 8-car and fifty-five 12-car units were specified, designated Classes 700/0 and 700/1 respectively.

The units all have a welded aluminium construction with inside-frame bogies. Four cars on the 8-car units, and six on the 12-car, will have both bogies powered while the others will be purely trailer vehicles. All trains will be dualvoltage, working off both 25kV AC and 750V DC supplies.

Two pantographs will be fitted and both will be used in normal operation.

Mechanically, the trains will be symmetrical around the centreline. Both driving cars will be powered as will the third and sixth on the 8-car and the third, fourth, ninth and tenth cars of the 12-car.

One interesting way to quickly tell a power bogie from an unpowered one is to look at the brakes. Primary braking on the train is by regeneration, but the unpowered bogies have large vented disc bakes while the powered bogies, with no room for discs due to the traction motors inside the frames, have tread brakes.

Manufacturing process The Class 700 trains are being assembled at Krefeld in Germany, close to Düsseldorf. Here the bodyshells are constructed from plank-like hollow aluminium extrusions.

Several of these ‘planks’ are clamped together and welded up longitudinally on a large welding machine to form a solid side. More are clamped onto a curved jig and again welded to form the roof.

These large panels go into a huge, boxed-off milling machine where the window and door apertures are cut, together with any other holes for equipment and power access.

The floors are made in the same way except these are welded up by hand from sturdier elements, including two friction-stir-welded plates which will take the bogie attachments.

The four main elements are then welded together to make a recognisable bodyshell, and the fitting-out and painting can begin. Final assembly is done on a production line in five stages, number four purely being testing of the systems installed in the first three.

After assembly and test, the cars are made up into fourcar units and hauled off to the test track for final assembly into finished trains and final testing.

3D planning One interesting area of the Krefeld factory is a cinemastyle room with a huge screen and no seats. Here, graphics of the trains can be displayed using information straight out of the design software. It doesn’t just give a view of the finished trains, it does it in layers and in three-dimensions.

Wearing 3D glasses, viewers can therefore see each element of the train and how it interacts with others. By panning and rotating the view, it can be inspected from all sides.

There are many uses for this technique, but one of the most important is trial-assembly. The build sequence can be tested, and any conflicts, whereby a component cannot be installed as it will be blocked by something else, can be sorted out before assembly starts in the factory itself. This prevented all of the initial build errors that crop up in any complex assembly.

Under test The first 12-car set arrived at the Siemens test and validation centre at Wildenrath (PCW - Prüf- und Validationscenter Wegberg-Wildenrath) in March 2014.

This was only eight months after the contract was signed.

At the time of writing, six further trains, five more 12-car sets and the first 8-car, have also commenced testing.

The programme includes performance testing, checks on ride comfort and safety systems, and racking up faultfree running. Driver training is also underway as Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) trainers gain experience on the new trains so they can impart that knowledge to the rest of the drivers on their return to the UK. The first train is due to arrive in the UK in August 2015 and, after testing under British conditions on the main line, be handed over to GTR in December. It should then enter passenger service sometime in February 2016, displacing a Class 319 set which will be cascaded elsewhere in the network.

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Every stage of production is documented on touchscreens.

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

Main maintenance facility and (insert) carriage wash.

View from the footbridge of the main facility at Three Bridges on the right (up) side.

From early 2016, trains will arrive at a rate of one a week until the entire contract is complete with the last unit handed over in June 2018.

Riding on the first prototype around the Wildenrath test track revealed a modern, quiet multipleunit without any vices. The seats were quite hard, as is often found on commuter trains, with a 2+2 seating arrangement reflecting the fact that these are medium-distance trains and not just short-haul, standingroom-only commuter specials. Both conventional and accessible CET (controlled emission toilets) are included with the latter being in the centre of the train.

Doors are wide and there is a large open space adjacent to get people on and off. Luggage racks seem strong (a Siemens engineer was sitting in one) and well-placed.

The driving position is central there is no gangway-connection between units on these trains - with a good view. As it was under test, the usual Driver’s Safety Device (née ‘dead man’s handle’) was disconnected and a load of test cables emerged from the desk, but it was simple for a novice to drive.

When in service, the trains will be fitted with large passengerinformation displays which can also play video - ideal for both safety messages and advertising.

All in all, the trains look and feel good and testing is going well. The next step will be to see the first one in the UK in August - but where will it go?

Depots 115 trains, or 1,140 carriages, take up a bit of room - in fact just over 23 kilometres in total. Even with an old Class 319 being retired when a 700 goes into service, there will still be a considerable amount of space required, particularly as there will be a lag on the cascade.

The two main depots for the fleet will be Hornsey on the East Coast main line, in 25kV country, and at Three Bridges on the 750V DC Brighton line.

Three Bridges is interesting in that it occupies both sides of the main line. The main five-road workshop is on the Up side with storage sidings between it and the main line. Facilities include a wheel lathe, carriage wash and two bogie drops. The southbound side has just sidings, a carriage wash and a full-length under-frame cleaning building. All sidings have CET emptying stations. The two parts of the depot are connected by a footbridge.

There is actually a third part to the site, behind the main maintenance facility on the line to Littlehaven, where some additional stabling, with

CET emptying stations, has been constructed.

Hornsey is on a long, thin site that is already occupied by the depot for several classes of trains including Classs 319s. The original plan for a larger depot was rejected in 2009 and the resulting rethink reduced it in size and enlarged Three Bridges.

The reconstructed depot at Hornsey, which will be open for the new Class 700 trains in 2016, includes an updated wheel lathe, carriage wash, underframe cleaning building and a three-road maintenance shed.

Three Bridges will come on-stream before Hornsey and, when the first Class 700 arrives through the Channel Tunnel early in August this year, it will be taken to the West Sussex depot.

No doubt Rail Engineer will be there to see it.

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

Finding space for stabling facilities

O

n the 12 March 2012, Network Rail awarded Carillion two contracts to upgrade depots and stabling sites as part of the £6.5 billion Thameslink programme. Carillion had already been involved with this type of work, when in 2011 they carried out similar work at Bedford Jowett, which was the first stabling site for the running of 12car trains on the Thameslink route.

The Thameslink project is already having a huge impact on our railway infrastructure with a new station at Blackfriars and an expanded station at Farringdon.

By 2016, London Bridge station will have been totally redeveloped and the track layout completely remodelled in order to remove one of the most significant bottlenecks on the UK rail network. Eventually, this will allow 24 trains to run per hour through central London.

Additional stabling capacity is now required to support the fleet of new Siemens Class 700 Desiro City 8 and 12-car units. The Department for Transport (DfT), which is paying for the sidings and stabling work, issued a stabling strategy in January 2011. In this strategy the DfT instructed that work should be carried out to provide new stabling capacity at Brighton, Horsham, Cricklewood, Peterborough, Cambridge and Bedford Cauldwell.

This proposed work supports the construction of two full maintenance depots situated south and north of the core Thameslink route through central London. The first depot is at Three Bridges on the DC-powered Brighton main line and the second is at Hornsey on the 25kV AC East Coast main line. Both depots are being constructed by Volker Fitzpatrick, with Carillion providing the track, signalling and power connections from the depots to the mainline network.

Class compatibility Ben Bolt is the Carillion engineering manager for this Thameslink work, and he explained that all the sites have to be designed not only for the new Siemens Class 700 but also for the current Class 377, 319 and 387 train units.

Outline design for all the locations was carried out in 2012, for Network Rail by Parsons Brinckerhoff, prior to the letting of the contracts for the detailed design and construction. However, the detail design work for all aspects of the work, including signalling, is being carried out by Carillion and its design partners.

As you would expect, all the sites are different. Each new siding is designed to stable a 12-car unit so its length has to cater for a minimum standage of 243 metres. At Cambridge, for example, some existing sidings were brought back into use whereas, at other locations, three to six new sidings were required. In all cases Carillion is acquiring serviceable sleepers and rail with new ballast and components. As Ben pointed out, this is not the easy option as significant lead times have to be taken into account while Network Rail’s National Supply Chain source these serviceable materials from other track relaying works that are happening elsewhere on the network.

Rail Engineer • May 2015

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COLLIN CARR

DfT requirements The DfT highlighted two specific requirements in their stabling strategy. The first was to provide appropriate carriage wash machines. This is particularly important to the train operator because part of its performance assessment will be a measure of the cleanliness of the train units.

In all, three new washers were required, one each at Brighton, Cricklewood and Peterborough and an existing washer has been refurbished at Cambridge. Carillion prepared the concrete bases for the new washers ensuring that power, water, drainage ducts, chambers and cable runs were installed alongside the myriad of buried equipment that already existed. The installation of the washing plant was subcontracted to either Garrandale or Airquick.

To test the effectiveness of the equipment, special side panels are fixed to a train unit and each panel is covered in a specified amount of muckiness. The train then passes through the washing facility at 3mph after which quality control tests are carried out. Unless the pre-determined level of cleanliness is achieved, the equipment has to be recalibrated and the process repeated until satisfaction is achieved.

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

there is no road access into the particular site - vehicles were only able to gain access under possession, so careful planning has been paramount. In addition, the depot uses a mechanical sanding system to deal with adhesion during autumn leaf fall and this sand silo pumping system had to be incorporated into the specification for three new 12-car sidings.

Testing and commissioning

The new sidings at Selhurst.

The second DfT requirement, which stems from EU legislation, is one that every experienced trackside worker would support wholeheartedly - the requirement for CET facilities. CET means Controlled Emission Toilets... need I say more!

The same suppliers of the washing plant installed this equipment too, which includes a main pump and a standby pump, valves to redirect flows and accommodate the flexibility that such maintenance requires, water to clean the tanks and water for the passengers to use.

This is another array of supply ducts for power, water and removal of waste, adding to what is already there.

Not a simple task fitting everything together in the right place, and as Ben stated, “a miss is as good as a mile”. It’s challenging work.

Finding room The CET plant has to be positioned on the concrete walkways constructed between the sidings and the components form complex designed units that are no more than 0.5m wide. At Cricklewood they had to extend sidings on the north side to create extra space at the south side to then construct five 24-car sidings.

Brighton was considered to be one of the most constrained sites to work on, sandwiched between the main line and residential properties. Available space is at a premium on this contract.

Selhurst sidings was not part of the original programme but, as the demolition of platforms at London Bridge station progressed, it was realised that three 12-car trains that were previously stabled overnight in the platforms now needed to be relocated. Selhurst was chosen, but

Volker Fitzpatrick used its rail business to design the signalling within the two new depots. However, because Carillion was fitting the new turnouts from the four track main lines into the two depots, it is also responsible for interfacing between the depot signalling system and the mainline control panel. This required the construction of some quite complex undertrack crossings across the four main line tracks.

At Three Bridges, mining techniques were used to push a 0.7 metre diameter concrete-ringed tunnel beneath the tracks at a depth of four metres below sleeper bottom. A second tunnel, 1.2 metres in diameter, was then pushed through and, with the larger diameter, any obstacles could be removed more easily. Throughout the process, the tracks were monitored for movement every three hours and readings sent to Ben’s team. If limits were exceeded, an immediate emergency speed restriction would be imposed - but this was never required. One more tunnel has yet to be driven at Horsham to carry traction cables, and possibly a final one at Hornsey for signalling cables.

The work is interesting and, although it’s probably not what people would describe as a ‘sexy’ contract, it certainly has its own demands. Ben was keen to point out that the team had been together for some time now and had fine-tuned a responsible attitude to working in such confined locations, often alongside running lines with little space to work in. As a result, the team has recently won the 2014 Rail Business Award for safety and gained highly commended in the sustainable excellence category for achievements made across all their sites.

There is still work to do. Bedford Cauldwell has barely started but it must be pleasing for the team to know that this work is forming an essential contribution to the Thameslink project and that is something to be really proud of.

Rail Engineer • May 2015

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

(Left) A welder sets to work on the hood section of Farnworth’s tunnelling machine.

(Right) The existing twin bores which will become redundant by October.

Boring Boring

Boring

Rail Engineer • May 2015

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H

ogging the limelight is something Crossrail is very good at. And so it should be: successfully threading a new railway through the capital’s subterranean clutter - to a few millimetres’ tolerance and without mishap - is outstanding by any measure. It’s a feat the industry should be shouting about, loudly and proudly. But Crossrail is not the only show in town when it comes to tunnelling. We’re doing a bit up North too, with a machine hand-built in Oldham.

PHOTOS: FOUR BY THREE

The £400 million North West Electrification Programme might be a financial drop in the ocean alongside the £14.8 billion being spent under London, but it has transformational potential as part of Network Rail’s wider £1+ billion investment across the region’s strained rail network. When government gave the go-ahead for the Liverpool-Manchester phase in 2009, installing stanchions and stringing wires between them probably sounded like a quick-win, but there’s so much more to it.

As this magazine has described previously, negotiating sufficient clearance for overhead line equipment can involve bridge building, track lowering, platform modifications, signal resiting, drainage renewals...you get the idea. The expansion of the north-west’s programme to include Huyton-Wigan, Manchester-Preston (by December 2016) and Preston-Blackpool (by winter 2016/17) has added much to that workload.

The latest intervention - arguably the most eyecatching - impacts on the heavily-trafficked commuter route between Bolton and Manchester. Commanding attention this time are the 295-yard twin bores of Farnworth Tunnel, or Clammerclough as they were originally known. They don’t make names like that anymore. But what’s proposed here is not another nibbling away of the invert to steal a few inches. This one is brutal.

Hold on tight Engineered by John Hawkshaw of Severn Tunnel fame, Farnworth’s first bore was constructed between 1835 and 1838, the intention being for it to host two tracks.

It did just that for 42 years. English Heritage regards the structure as historically significant, dating from the “pioneering first phase” of railway building and thus warranting a Grade II listing.

Formal opening took place on 17th May 1838 when directors of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Railway invited friends and financiers to join them on an “experimental trip” up the line. One correspondent observed that “By a judicious contrivance of the engineer, the tunnel has been lighted by a shaft sunk from the surface, about equidistant from either end, and covered by a glass dome; and the unpleasant sensation felt by many persons in the dark tunnels on other lines is thus obviated. The time occupied in passing through by a first class train is barely 30 seconds.”

To aid their recovery from this 20mph white-knuckle ride, about 200 gentlemen reconvened at the Ladyman’s Hotel in Salford for dinner and “choice wines”. Numerous toasts followed. By the time Hawkshaw rose to say a few words, the gathering was described as “convivial”. I bet. He reported that “all the cuttings, embankments and bridges on this line have been made of more than ordinary width

GRAEME BICKERDIKE

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

with a view to the ultimate laying down upon the road of a third line of rails.” Hawkshaw had a vision of future capacity constraints, but unfortunately it wasn’t clear enough to engineer the tunnel with a more generous structure gauge. When Pullman coaches were introduced on the route from Manchester to Carlisle, the only way to accommodate them was by driving a second bore for the Down line. Work on it took seven months, opening on 5th December 1880.

Here we go again The latest stage in Farnworth’s evolution will be played out between now and October. But like the old broom that’s had a new head and handle, if you drive a bigger bore on a different alignment, is it still the same tunnel? Obviously not. Hawkshaw’s structure will cease to exist - filled with lightweight foamed concrete, along with its shaft and 13 cross passages. The whole thing will then be rebored so that the two tracks can be reunited, along with their associated OLE. In developing a way forward, the project team considered a dozen options, from the tunnels’ complete removal to a conventional track lower. Two key factors determined their selection - a desire to improve the track alignment and thus increase linespeed, and the deteriorating condition of the tunnels. Surveys of the Down bore identified an assortment of defects: hollow brickwork, open joints and bulging, transverse and longitudinal cracks. Most of these were a product of water ingress. Even without electrification, there would have been a need to act in the foreseeable future; the structure is effectively life-expired.

If ground conditions become difficult, the excavator buckets can be replaced with drum cutters.

Preparatory works for the reboring have been ongoing since February, closing the railway at weekends. The main phase gets underway on 2nd May, taking the Up tunnel out of commission. Thereafter, single line working will be introduced through the Down tunnel to maintain a weekday service. Crossovers have been installed for this purpose, together with a dedicated panel in the signalling centre at Manchester Piccadilly.

The impact on paths is considerable, but Network Rail and the two train operators - Northern and First TransPennine Express - have been collaborating closely to ensure eight trains per hour can run during the peaks, with longer formations to maintain carrying capacity. In some places, this has necessitated the provision of temporary platform extensions. To keep things moving, the stations at Farnworth, Kearsley, Moses Gate and Clifton will be closed until 5th October and served by buses.

In November 2014, Network Rail appointed Buckingham Group as principal contractor for the project which incorporates the reconstruction of a retaining wall and road bridge at the west end of the tunnel, as well as moving Farnworth Station’s platforms northwards to meet the new track alignment. As you’d expect, the opportunity is also being taken to progress other jobs elsewhere along the route. J Murphy & Sons are carrying out the actual tunnelling operation to a design by OTB Engineering.

Deep cuts What’s involved is very different to the approach seen on Crossrail. London Clay is soft and quite predictable, ideal for the rotary Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) we’ve become accustomed to seeing. But Farnworth poses a different challenge, with ground comprising concrete, brickwork, stone and timbers from the old infilled tunnel, surrounded

An overview of the Farnworth machine.

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PHOTOS: MULHOLLAND MEDIA

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1 8

Shove rams

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Hood section

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Spoil control platform

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Main shell

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Conveyor

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Telescopic cutting booms

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Segment erector

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Transverse mounting beam

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Tailskin/lining build area 10

Fore-poling plates

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Gantry sledges 11

Rail Engineer • May 2015

PHOTOS: FOUR BY THREE

by untouched glacial tills. So what’s being deployed here is a classic open-faced shield, fabricated up the road in Oldham by Tunnel Engineering Services. Measuring 8.83m in diameter, it’s the biggest they’ve ever built.

The machine has been designed around a system of trapezoidal precast lining segments from Buchan Concrete Solutions. Ten of these segments are assembled to form one ring, 600mm in thickness and with a diameter of 8m.

Each ring provides a 1.4m advance.

Housed within the machine’s main 3.24m shell are two telescopic cutting booms, controlled by joystick from the operator stations behind them. Mounted one above the other to excavate the upper and lower halves of the working face, the booms are supported on slewing bearings which slide along a transverse beam. This arrangement enables the excavator bucket (or drum cutter if the ground requires it) to reach both the full width of the face and the conveyor onto which spoil is deposited for removal.

Whilst mining, the shield moves itself forward - and steers - using 20 shove rams that push against the last ring of lining segments, exerting a maximum combined force of 2,200 tonnes. The ground above is supported by a series of fore-poling plates at the crown, incorporated within a hood that extends 2.275m beyond the main shell.

A modular spoil control platform, positioned by a series of rams, offers protection from falling material at the face. To control dust and generally improve the working environment, there will be water sprays and forced ventilation from the western end through an access way formed within the concrete fill.

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Behind the operator stations is the lining’s rotary segment erector, supported by a ring beam mounted on a slew bearing with integral drive gearing. The system has two heads operating in opposite directions, each with a 3-tonne capacity and using a hydraulic pick-up fitted to a parallel motion linkage mounted on the beam. The build takes place within the machine’s tailskin, at the end of which is a double row of brush seals; these retain the grout which is injected through sockets in the segments to fill the void between the extrados and the bored face.

As it progresses, the shield tows a series of gantries. These house the modular hydraulic power packs, cable storage reels, grout pumps, agitating tanks and a handling system to hoist the lining segments from dumpers and feed them into the build area. Running front-to-back through the machine

Some of the finished machine sections awaiting assembly in the factory.

Multi-Disciplinary Rail construction services include: 

Rail engineering; civil & structural engineering



Stations and Passenger Area construction and refurbishment



Platform construction and extensions



Permanent Way, Construction, Raising & Lowering

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Bridge Structures & Retaining Walls, including Piling

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Lineside Structures, Foundations, Culverts

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Earthworks, Embankments &Cuttings

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Embankment construction, stabilisation & protection

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Railway track beds & ballast operations

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Major re-signalling schemes

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Troughing Route

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Station car parks; at grade, decked & multi-storey



Depots & Trainwash facilities

All Operations are undertaken under a full, Network Rail approved, Principal Contractors Licence (PCL) and all appropriate Link-Up product code registrations.

Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd. Silverstone Road, Stowe, Buckingham MK18 5LJ Tel: 01280 823355; E-mail: bd@buckinghamgroup.co.uk

Rail Engineer • May 2015

PHOTO: RJD ENGINEERING

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The machine will be trialassembled in the factory before being transported to site in six pieces.

is a central conveyor, taking spoil from the base of the shield hood onto a secondary belt across the top of the gantries.

From here it is discharged into the dumpers for disposal.

After a trial assembly at the factory, the machine will be transported to site in six pieces and rebuilt in a launch pit at the Kearsley (east) portal where a large steel frame is being erected for it to push against whilst excavating the first few yards through the portal’s new concrete headwall. The expectation is for progress to be made at a rate of around six metres per day, its movement along the curved alignment being assisted by a laser guidance system. A reception pit will await the machine at the Farnworth end where it will be dismantled. Thereafter an in-situ concrete invert slab will be poured through the tunnel prior to the p-way works getting underway.

Good vibrations?

Although the control provided by the open-face approach results in far less ground disturbance than with a rotary TBM, you might reasonably ask what effect the mining activity will have on the ailing Down tunnel next door, through which trains will still be passing. At their closest point, the intrados of the two existing bores are less than five feet apart, although they don’t follow an entirely parallel course.

Up tunnel (opened 1838)

One key part of the preparatory works has involved the spraying of a 200mm fibre-reinforced concrete lining through the Down tunnel during a series of 54hour weekend possessions. This lining incorporates two layers of welded mesh fabric reinforcement and is supported on dowel bar anchorages at the toe of the sidewalls. The result of this is to make the preexisting brick lining redundant. Through one section, there was insufficient clearance to adopt this solution so brickwork had to be removed at the crown and steel ribs fitted. A high-strength grout has also been injected to provide further support by stiffening the ground on the Up side. Not surprisingly, the structure gauge is now tight, demanding the imposition of a 10/15mph speed restriction. Nevertheless, a clearance of 50mm is still provided at W6A gauge, with a further 30mm tolerance for inconsistencies in the sprayed lining.

Allied with the strengthening is an optical deformation monitoring system to determine absolute displacements in three dimensions. Supplied by Murphy Surveys, this will be carried out using a total station and reflective prisms established at 10m centres through most of the tunnel, reducing to 5m centres in the section with ribs. Real-time alerts will be provided via a web portal. Inclinometers are also being installed in the surrounding ground, together with a geodetic survey of the portals.

Look local It’s clear that the challenges posed at Farnworth are amongst the stiffest yet faced by the north-west electrification team, both in engineering terms and operational impact. Those in the know insist the tunnelling itself is quite straightforward but, given the risks involved, its reliance on a highly-skilled workforce is beyond doubt.

With Crossrail’s tunnel drives almost at an end, here’s an opportunity to refocus the spotlight from the outstanding German machinery that has worked wonders under London, onto home-grown engineering and innovation. After all, it was John Hawkshaw and his contemporaries who pioneered railway tunnelling as we know it. We’ll return to see how it all performed when the curtain comes down in October.

Down tunnel (opened 1880)

New tunnel (8m internal diameter)

200mm sprayed concrete lining

3.076m

Rail Engineer • May 2015

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DESIGN, MANUFACTURE AND HIRE OF TUNNELLING EQUIPMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY •

Full Face Tunnel Boring Machines

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Mechanised Tunnelling Machines

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Auger Boring Machines

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Guided Auger Boring Equipment

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Microtunnelling

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Segment Erector Systems

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Shaft Jacking Equipment

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Power Packs

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Gantry Cranes and Mechanical Handling Equipment

Tunnel Engineering Services (UK) Ltd. Unit B Vulcan Business Park, Derker Street, Derker, Oldham OL1 4AS T : +44 (0)161 626 6005 F : +44 (0)161 627 0993 E : info@tesuk.co.uk W : www.tesuk.co.uk

Total Tunnelling Technology

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Rail Engineer • May 2015 GRAHAME TAYLOR

Paul Ellis receives his golden iPad from Phil Hufton.

URBIS et ORBIS...

URBIS (Liverpool), et (and),

ORBIS (Offering the Railway Better Information Systems)

Rail Engineer • May 2015

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Terabytes

Left to right Steve Smith, Patrick Bossert, Paul Ellis, Steve Dyke, Andrew Bradley and Steve Farqharson.

L

iverpool Central CMD seemed an odd venue for a party - for a celebration. It’s near Ranelagh Street, with its tired shopping facades, in Fairclough Street - impressive name, but rather drab - down, down below road level to some imposing high security gates, palisade fencing and numerous portable buildings. You find it by following the marked pathway between the operational railway yard, hurrying under more bridges, past more portacabins up to an anonymous three storey (portable) building ahead. Then up three storeys to the party.

This was obviously a venue for those who knew where they were going. There were no balloons anywhere. In fact, this was an internal Network Rail event - and yet Rail Engineer got an invite.

someone’s desk. Could it be shared? Not easily.

But technology has moved on. The internet has enabled data to be shared - to be coordinated.

Millionth work order

ORBIS is addressing the way we collect and evaluate the data to turn it into useful information, which in turn can be joined to other information and analysed to generate predictive insight.

Information specifications and standards have become properly defined against business needs rather than pure engineering requirements.

For example, there used to be 132 attributes for a point heater strip, whereas all you need to know is when was it installed, how many watts it uses and how many hours it has run.

“We’ve been working with Bentley Systems on the linear asset decision support tool (LADS) which has 30 or 40 different analytical lenses on our track asset. This is now phenomenally good at predicting how certain aspects of track will deteriorate.

“We feed in traffic data, which means we can start to genuinely predict rather than simply forecast. This gives us an insight into granularity the like of which we’ve never had before. We can say for every point-end how many tonnes have travelled over it and how many times it has moved. And that has prompted us to look at the make-up of the whole network. It has suggested that up to 20% of our point assets, which attract a huge cost, could be removed.

“One of the radical things we did - and this sent out quite a shock wave through the industry was to announce that we were going to roll out iPhones and iPads to all our front-line staff. Even more unusual was our wish that they would be issued unlocked, so people can put their own email on, their own music, their own applications. The deal was, though, they would have to come to work with it charged up!

“This was such a change as our own desktop PCs are so locked down that nothing can be installed, nothing can be changed without permission. The open issue of this technology said to our people ‘we trust you’ and that was a really key thing. And it was very well received.”

So, who’s birthday was it? It wasn’t a birthday apparently, but there was a star who was getting an award. Not that he expected it. Project manager Paul Ellis, the lucky recipient of a golden iPad, is the guy who just happened to close the millionth work order via his iPad carried out under the Offering Rail Better Information Services (ORBIS) programme. Little did he suspect when he tapped the information into his own - and plain - hightech device that photographers, suits, fame and lunch would descend onto Fairclough Street.

Paul was the star. Clutching his golden iPad (it was a 3D printed replica), it was Paul whose photo will adorn the Network Rail news media. But to one side there was someone equally proud who explained the whole event to Rail Engineer, and that was Patrick Bossert, Network Rail’s director of digital transformation.

He explained ORBIS, what it is, what it does and why it has become so important for the efficient running of the modern railway.

Smarter Step back a few years - not many - just four years perhaps. By then Network Rail had been in existence for ten years (it really is that long!). From the dark post-privatisation years, Network Rail had made significant efficiency and safety improvements. But the graphs had started to level off and this had been detected

by Peter Henderson - Network Rail’s then asset management director. His remit to Patrick - a recent recruit from the telecoms industry - was to see how the railways could be smarter. Up until then, all the effort had been to work the system harder but, after ten years, harder was not enough.

For decades the railway had been gathering data - a chunk here, another chunk there. It was stored all over the place - one server in the South, another in the North, even a PC under

Predict rather than forecast

The reason Apple and iPad were chosen was because it provides an environment that is very easy to secure and manage. One application cannot interfere with the operation of another.

Some of the more open source options just don’t offer this.

Where is ORBIS? There are around 300 programme staff in London, delivering new capability to Network Rail’s Asset Information operations business which has 150 people in Milton Keynes, 40 people in Derby, and another 40 in York. Between them, they deliver a broad range of data to intelligence services.

Ellipse holds all the work management and hierarchical asset condition data. There’s a cloud server that holds the linear data - as there’s just terabytes and terabytes of that. Information on over 20,000 miles of linear asset across eight disciplines is gathered every two weeks!

“Over time we may go to everything hosted in the cloud when we get better data communication right across the network, but we had to choose a flexible environment,” Patrick Bossert continued.

“You can use the kit out on site whether you’ve got a connection or not, but the moment your phone or iPad sees a data service it will opportunistically synchronise in the background and bring everything up to date. This was a critical part of getting the balance right between technology and practicality. Ten years from now, probably everything will be in the cloud with ubiquitous data coverage, but for now we had to go for a pragmatic approach and I think we nailed it just right.

“Most big programmes in government are twothirds technology, one-third change. ORBIS is the other way round. Two-thirds change, one-third technology.

“And we’ve shown that we’ve been incredibly successful in implementing a new type of delivery model in partnership with our IT department and its suppliers, to the point where ORBIS is generating efficiencies as a programme and is able to hand back some of its funding to the business through its efficient delivery.

“Over two control periods, on the programme for £330 million investment we can see directly £700 million in return in more effectively-targeted renewals.

“Information is giving us the ability to make really informed business decisions - which will make the railway far more effective in the way it works.

“Digital gives us an opportunity to actually build far more accountability and empowerment back to where it matters. It is really important that you’re doing a job with the right tools, feeling empowered to do the whole job.”

And it was digital empowerment that enabled Paul Ellis to decide that he could close off his points check, press the button on his iPad and bring party fever to Fairclough Street.

God knows, it needs it.

Introducing Oscar 2.0 The future of worksite safety and communication from Colas Rail Colas Rail is one of the world’s leading providers of rail infrastructure services and have been at the forefront of safety best practice, innovation and design for many years.

And Colas Rail has once again illustrated its pioneering nature and commitment to safety, innovation and technical excellence, with the development of Oscar 2.0, a truly industry-leading multi-functional worksite helmet.

Oscar 2.0 is so much more than just a new style worksite helmet.

The main innovations lie in the integration of three novel functions into the same headgear:

The helmet sends a signal to the wearer when he or she is too close to a overhead line powered by an alternative current.

A communication function

Pioneering partnerships and cutting-edge innovation Oscar is a project collaboration between Bouygues’s research laboratory, the e-lab and Colas Rail’s technical teams.

Together the team began work in 2012, gathering ideas and developing the technical specifications, designs were in place and the project had senior management approval at the end of 2013 and Oscar 2.0 successfully passed all the compulsory tests receiving EC certification at the end of 2014.

By the end of the first quarter of 2015, 50 helmets will be deployed exclusively to pilot teams on Colas Rail worksites for a month’s initial trial and the plan is then for a further 1,000 helmets to be distributed throughout the rest of the year.

Oscar’s integrated functionality Colas Rail has an absolute commitment to safety, innovation and quality. And Oscar 2.0 is the perfect example of this. Its design and multi-functional approach provides a whole new dimension to onsite safety and communication.

The lighting and visibility function

Alternating current location function

This function enables a team to communicate hands-free, with one another over a distance of up to 250 metres, in three modes: • full duplex mode • walkie-talkie mode • listening mode Further developments of this function will include communicating within much larger teams and communication between teams in particular areas.

Directional lighting

The helmet has a simple, comfortable and practical lighting system, with three different modes: • ambient multi-directional lighting without glare (so that workers can talk without dazzling each other) • close directional lighting (to enable wearers to see properly while they work) • high-powered directional lighting to move around safely)

Future development Other functions such as increasing even further its safety performance, advanced comfort facilities and accessibility are currently under development. And other companies have shown interest in the Oscar 2.0 concept and are monitoring the work and development to date, for potential future adoption.

Ambient lighting

World leading engineering, construction and rail support services.

From design to delivery, construction to support, training to maintenance, Colas Rail delivers total solutions in all aspects of railway infrastructure, from high speed rail systems to light and urban rail.

As award-winning specialists in the design and construction of all forms of railway, we focus our world-class performance in four key areas of rail infrastructure; Track, Rail Services, Rail Systems and Training.

For more information on Colas Rail: T: 020 7593 5353 W: www.colasrail.co.uk E: enquiries@colasrail.co.uk TW: @ColasRailUK FB: Colas Rail UK Â Colas Rail, Dacre House, 19 Dacre Street London SW1H 0DJ, United Kingdom

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

O

ne of the great things about being a writer for Rail Engineer magazine is that we can get out and about to meet interesting people, places and projects around the national rail network.

Now and then we even get to visit places far from any railway, such as the leafy (hopefully, when you read this) back lanes of rural North Yorkshire.

“Just follow the wall on your right hand side down the hill and when it runs out turn into Old Sleningford Farm.” Those were the instructions to find the unlikely location of Aquarius Railroad Technologies.

“If you go too far you’ll land in Mickley,” the directions continued. It sounded like something out of a Stella Gibbons novel - the domain of the Starkadders and ‘something nasty in the woodshed’.

But the sun shone, the birds sang and there wasn’t a woodshed in sight. No ‘mollocking’ in the hay loft either. The rural surroundings of Aquarius Railroad Technologies’ modern factory and workshops might be the antithesis of an industrial estate in Staines, but that’s where the quaintness ends.

Man and dog Aquarius was formed by James Platt (above) in 1999 and, as he puts it: “We started with a shed, one Land Rover RRV and a dog.”

James is a highly focussed design and development engineer with a vision to fill a gap in the UK rail infrastructure market for quality Land Rover-based road rail vehicles. That vision, coupled with clever design and hard work, has paid off.

Now Aquarius boasts a fleet of vehicles, a team of expert personnel housed in purpose built offices and workshops, a test track … and a dog.

Even in 1999 James was no stranger to the rail industry. He had worked both in the UK and Australia for Bruff, well known for its Bedford lorry-based road/rail vehicles. His passion for innovation led to the development of a more-lightweight vehicle that could be driven normally on the highway and which could be adapted quickly and easily for use on the

railway. His ideas were based around the Land Rover Defender series, which offers rugged dependability, great adaptability, long life and no shortage of spare parts.

R2R Key to its use as a rail vehicle is the Defender’s sturdy chassis, which provides suitable load points for the deployable rail wheel assemblies.

The designs that James produced were to manifest themselves into what is now the Aquarius flagship, the R2R (Road to Rail) 4x4.

Since its inception in 1948, roughly 4.5 million Land Rovers have rolled off the production line and amazingly about 40% of them still run. With its rugged dependability, this vehicle is without doubt a British icon. As James is keen to point out, “These vehicles are as important to our customers on the road as well as rail. It’s doubtful our business would have been so successful if we had based it around any other vehicle.”

Other road/rail vehicles tend to be larger in size than the R2R 4x4 but, as James says, “The larger the vehicle, the wider it is so the road wheels have to be pulled in to fit the track gauge. This makes the vehicle less stable on the road and there’s also a resultant loss of steering lock.” This lack of manoeuverability can make it harder to get larger vehicles on and off the track.

Versatility The possible down side of a smaller vehicle is its reduced load capacity. The R2R 4x4 itself can carry a payload of 800-1000kg, dependent on the model. The Land Rover remains the only sub-3.5 tonne highway vehicle certified by VOSA for a 7 tonne Gross Train Weight (3.5 tonnes on the Land Rover fully loaded, towing a 3.5 tonne GVW trailer).

Man on a mission

Strange as it may seem, though, it was this weight limitation that brought about a true success story for Aquarius. James has capitalised on this and the ‘nimble’ on/off tracking attributes of the Land Rover by improving the versatility of the R2R 4x4 and increasing its hauling capability.

Aquarius has produced a series of bespoke road/rail trailers, from a simple two wheeled trailer (Load Tray Extension) to a R2R Plant Trailer which can carry a 2.7 tonne payload. A larger Road2Rail Flatbed Trailer is due to be available later this year.

The Load Tray Extension (LTE) is a twowheeled load platform for rail use that can be stowed on the R2R 4x4 when not needed.

Weighing in at only 50kg, it has a simple and clever aluminium construction that is capable of carrying a payload of 490kg on track. Having only two wheels, it is technically not classed as a rail trolley, which means it doesn’t require a braking system.

As the LTE can couple to both of the R2R front and rear towing points, a vehicle with two load trays attached (towed and propelled) gains an additional 980kg in haulage capability.

The platform’s low height above rail level and accessibility from all sides also brings health & safety benefits for lifting and handling.

STUART MARSH

At Aquarius we believe in making everyday railway maintenance tasks simplereveryday & safer.

At Aquarius we believe in making Our Road2Rail 4x4 vehicles help our clients be “Quick to site, Rapid to work”* railway maintenance tasks simpler & safer. by providing RRVs that are easy to use and flexible for many uses.

Our Road2Rail 4x4 vehicles help our clients be “Quick to site, Rapid to work”* *as described by Neil Moriarty, whilst at Heathrow Express by providing RRVs that are easy to use and flexible for many uses. *as described by Neil Moriarty, whilst at Heathrow Express

Using Aquarius R2R 4x4’s gives you: • A self-sufficient transport solution: transporting equipment & personnel from road to rail to site, reducing your logistics.

• Improves your teams’ health and safety: No pushing trolleys & no walking on track avoiding slips trips and falls.

Relatively low vehicle height with single step access, for quick & easy exit and entry from the track, reducing fatigue.

Significantly reduces manual handling as equipment is preloaded at the depot.

• Increase productivity & maximise your possession: Our Welding vehicles create 3 times more productivity. With quick on tracking and all the welding equipment on board get to the rail worksite & get the job done. Welding is completed from the back of the vehicle. On a 2 mile distance you can be welding within 25 minutes of arriving at the RRAP.

““

””

Reducing the teams' fatigue and risk of slips, trips and falls, the Aquarius R2R 4x4 and LTE makes the Plymouth Signalling & Telecoms work easier, safer and more productive.

Jon Tancock, STME, Network Rail,and Plymouth Reducing the teams' fatigue risk of

slips, trips and falls, the Aquarius R2R 4x4 and LTE makes the Plymouth Signalling & Telecoms work easier, safer and more productive.

Jon Tancock, STME, Network Rail, Plymouth

Aquarius Railroad Technologies Ltd

Providing quality Road2Rail vehicles - Available for hire nationwide (with or without operator/MC)

Aquarius Railroad Technologies Ltd Call us on 01765 635 021 Visit us at www.railrover.com

Providing quality Road2Rail vehicles - Available for hire nationwide (with or without operator/MC)

Call us on 01765 635 021 Visit us at www.railrover.com

42

Rail Engineer • May 2015

This Plant Trailer has integral loading ramps

Haulage For hauling larger loads, both on the highway and on the railway, Aquarius has developed the R2R Plant Trailer. With four road wheels and two deployable rail wheels, the Rail Trailer can accommodate a payload of 2.7 tonnes, making it suitable for transporting rubber tracked plant such as mini-excavators. James sees the ability to transport plant equipment directly from the depot to the worksite as a major advantage: “Very often it’s not necessary to use large excavators. They have to be transported by low loader to track access points, where they can lie idle and unattended for days on end. There are significant cost savings to be made by carrying smaller plant along with the personnel on the day.”

As well as mini-excavators, the R2R Plant Trailer has been used to transport drilling rigs, spider cherry pickers, chippers and spider cranes.

Aquarius offers a choice of tail gates and vehicle ramps for the Rail Trailer. “Really it’s an anything materials carrier,” says James, “with early users transporting fencing materials for a parapets project.” It is also the only rail trailer that can be on-tracked whilst loaded, cutting out double handling.

On and off Getting the R2R 4x4 on and off the track, even with a trailer attached, is a very straightforward procedure. The rail wheels are lowered from the cab at the touch of a button - well, two buttons to be precise. There is no need to leave the cab to insert locking pins, as the system has in-built over-centre locking. On the R2R 4x4 the rail wheels are operated by an electro-hydraulic system, whereas on the R2R Plant Trailer two electric motors are used to deploy the rail gear.

Coupling a Load Tray to the high hitch.

Even when on track, the rubber road wheels carry most of the load. They also provide the vehicle traction and braking. The rail wheels are intended to provide guidance only and carry about 20% of the total weight. In order to maintain this weight distribution, the R2R Plant Trailer incorporates sprung compensation devices for each wheel. Maximum speeds on rail are 20mph in the forward direction and 15mph in reverse, as dictated by the applicable Group Standard.

Fleet for hire Although Aquarius builds vehicles for sale, it sees itself foremost as a hire company that is capable of providing a number of road/ rail vehicle solutions. It has recently doubled its R2R 4x4 fleet, now with 24 vehicles at its disposal for deployment anywhere within the UK. Servicing and maintenance is undertaken on site by Aquarius staff to minimise disruption to the customer, and a 24/7 back up service is provided. The company recognises the importance of customer service and in the event of problems can provide a replacement hired vehicle anywhere in the UK within 48 hours.

Aquarius road rail vehicles are in use from the West Highland line in Scotland to branch lines in Devon on applications including S&T work, track inspection and general railway maintenance as well as more high-tech tasks such as mobile asset management, LIDAR (point cloud) scanning and 360 degree photographic images, and ultrasonic track scanning.

The Network Rail S&T team at Plymouth, headed up by Jon Tancock, has found that, after trying various other RRVs, the R2R 4x4 is best suited to its needs with a typical shift including 20 to 30 miles of travelling on track and exiting/

Rail Engineer • May 2015

43

entering the vehicle on average 25 times, made easier by the quick access to the relatively low R2R 4x4. This team has recently hired an LTE to transport essential tools on track at an accessible working height.

Working closely with Network Rail in Scotland and Wessex, Aquarius developed two speciallymodified R2R 4x4s that are capable of carrying alumino-thermic track welding and BV1000 equipment. The heavier welding equipment is transported in a bespoke single-cab R2R 4x4 with a large, 2.5 metre long box body. The interior is kitted out with shelving specifically made to transport the necessary welding equipment and gas bottles. Power is provided by a 110V inverter.

For the BV1000 equipment, which is used to build up worn rail head extending the life of switches and crossings, the large 180kg hydraulic power pack, two generators, the robot welding equipment and grinding jigs are stowed in the open pick-up body of the R2R 4x4. More delicate equipment is stored in a cage in the cab.

Straight to site A major advantage provided by the Aquarius road rail vehicle concept is the ability to deliver staff and equipment to site with minimum materials handling, trolley pushes and lineside walking. A Network Rail team in Wessex has estimated that operating an R2R 4x4 on three to four shifts per week gives a saving of over £100,000 per year.

Jack Roberts, manager, Wessex Route says: “The R2R 4x4 allows complex emergency speed restrictions to be imposed and removed by two men instead of up to twelve - a saving of over 83%.” The Wessex Route now operates one R2R 4x4 and three R2R 4x4 welding vehicles.

Easy transition from road to rail.

Innovation James Platt is a passionate innovator on a mission. His aim is to provide high quality 4x4 road rail vehicles that deliver increased productivity together with improved health & safety and staff working conditions. “We believe in making everyday railway maintenance simpler and safer,” he says. “Using our core hire product, the R2R 4x4 vehicle, gives the user a very versatile solution and self-sufficiency from road to rail to site. It now also has unexpected capabilities from a sub-3.5 tonne vehicle when you add a Load Tray Extension or R2R Plant Trailer.”

With the expansion of its vehicle fleet, together with a host of specialist solutions, Aquarius Railroad Technologies has gone from strength to strength. It’s all due to the vision and determination of one man, who now has the support of a dedicated expert team.

Just like the Land Rover itself, James Platt’s company is a great British success story. All from the rural delights of Old Sleningford Farm, where I can assure you nothing nasty lurks, even if you do land in Mickley!

44

What is TCMS Rail Engineer • May 2015

T

rain Control & Management System (TCMS) is a train-borne distributed control system.

It comprises computer devices and software, human-machine interfaces, digital and analogue input/ output (I/O) capability and the data networks to connect all these together in a secure and fault-resistant manner.

Typically, TCMS provides data communications interfaces to other train-borne systems, and also telecommunications to supporting systems operating remotely on the wayside. TCMS will usually be physically separated from WiFi networks available to passengers for security reasons. TCMS is often referred to as the “brain of the train” due to its central role in coordinating control and monitoring across disparate systems.

For large manufacturers, TCMS is the standard control, communication and train management system for all vehicle platforms and applications ranging from trams, metros, passenger coaches and people movers to multiple-car trains, high-performance locomotives, and high-speed trains. The precise TCMS architecture deployed will vary depending upon operational requirements and market segment, but the purpose and benefits of TCMS are common across all architectures.

TCMS easily integrates with third party subsystems because the design is modular and uses internationally standardised interfaces. It allows data from multiple systems to be intelligently integrated, providing services to drivers, maintainers and passengers which are enhanced in comparison to those available from standalone systems.

SIMON TEW

Standardisation of data interfaces between TCMS and other train systems benefits manufacturers, suppliers and, ultimately, fleet owners as it allows a broader range of compliant system solutions to be considered whilst reducing the cost of integration. In addition, migration of functionality from the supplier domain into TCMS can reduce the cost and complexity of the overall train solution, for example through the elimination of unnecessary cabling and connectors and their associated mass.

TCMS components Computer Control Units (CCUs) will normally have no moving parts or internal batteries and their software can be updated remotely over the TCMS network, eliminating the need for costly routine maintenance or timeconsuming device-by-device physical access. They offer a variety of interface ports: typically they support one or more Ethernet, Multifunction Vehicle Bus (MVB) and serial data interfaces.

As CCUs are programmable devices, the software they run may be based on either a deterministic real-time operating system which allows for predictable operational performance and control, or be based on a non-real-time operating system which will allow the integration of a wider variety of commercially available software libraries to deliver more complex but less critical functionality.

Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) share the lowmaintenance characteristics of CCUs, and typically provide a high-resolution, touch-screen programmable interface to relay information to drivers and maintainers. The programmable nature of these devices means they can be customised to suit developing operational circumstances, and can provide redundancy for other screen-based functionality that may be required in the driver’s cab.

Modular Input/Output (MIO) devices provide a flexible combination of digital and analogue I/O, allowing for future expansion and facilitating a wide variety of control and monitoring solutions.

Mobile Communication Gateways (MCGs) typically provide combined GSM-P, WiFi and GPS capabilities, driving down the cost of broad-reach telecommunications by using low-cost and high-bandwidth channels when possible, and making the train location available to both onboard and wayside services.

Safety-certified variants of CCUs, HMIs and MIOs can be used to deliver safety-critical functionality, building on these proven platforms to expedite the integration process.

Rail Engineer • May 2015

TCMS Networks The devices described above will be connected to one or more of the following networks, but the list is not exhaustive. Other field-bus technologies exist but are generally adopted from other industries such as automotive or building-control and are not the subject of standardisation for rail.

The Multifunctional Vehicle Bus (MVB) provides device connectivity within a consist, i.e. a set of vehicles which can be operated as a train independently. Depending on the number of devices, there may be multiple buses present within the consist. MVB is a managed serial protocol, often implemented on the RS485 physical layer.

An Ethernet Consist Network (ECN) is typically organised in a ring topology to provide redundant paths in the event of cable or switch failure. It provides an Internet Protocol (IP) interface to TCMS and other systems within a consist.

A Wired Train Bus (WTB) provides redundant connectivity between coupled consists, based on an RS485 physical layer, while Ethernet Train Buses (ETB), which are typically organised as redundant linear buses, provide IP connectivity between coupled consists.

TCMS Functions One of the main benefits of TCMS is that it delivers an integrated diagnostic and prognostic capability on the train and provides visualisation of system performance, issues and suggested corrective actions to assist the driver and maintenance personnel. Diagnostic events and supporting data can be seamlessly transmitted to support personnel on the wayside, facilitating technical support to the driver, prompting timely maintenance interventions and providing an holistic view of fleet performance to ensure service disruptions can be anticipated and therefore minimised or eliminated.

Condition-based monitoring helps to reduce unnecessary scheduled maintenance and spares consumption, and prognostic analysis of current and

historical data presented by TCMS to wayside systems can predict future system failures allowing planned corrective actions to be scheduled without service interruption.

Integration of data received by TCMS from unrelated systems can offer operational benefits and enhance passenger comfort. For example, passenger counting data gathered from external and gangway door sensors can be used by the Passenger Information System (PIS) to guide passengers to vehicles with low occupancy.

Potentially, such information can be transmitted to wayside systems, allowing passengers waiting at stations to receive such information in advance of train arrival.

Vehicle functions such as Automatic Selective Door Operation, which ensures that the door release pattern along the train is appropriate to the platform length, can be enhanced by integration of data from multiple systems in order to support the driver. Location beacon data can be supplemented by GPS location and distance measurement data in order to identify potentially anomalous scenarios where the driver should confirm the current location of the train, and where some maintenance activity may be required. For example, if TCMS expects to receive beacon location information but does not do so when the location is known from GPS and distance measurement signals, this could indicate a failure with the beacon or the transceiver equipment, and TCMS can detect such scenarios automatically and thereby facilitate the resolution of off-train infrastructure issues which may impact operational safety.

A PIS is an example of a system where functionality can migrate from supplier systems into TCMS and the associated data can be utilised more widely. On Class 379 Stansted Express trains, delivered by Bombardier, the long-term, short-term and daily-running timetable and stock allocation plans are automatically downloaded from the wayside and PIS announcements are scheduled

by TCMS. In addition, electronic seat reservation data is downloaded automatically (even in the event of

45

46

Rail Engineer • May 2015

stock reallocation), meaning that the PIS can set up automatically and passengers can locate reserved seats without requiring the driver to be in attendance.

Up-to-date timetable data is also made available to the driver via an electronic Driver Schedule Card presented via the HMI. As functionality migrates onto TCMS equipment, reliability and availability can improve due to the reduction in train cabling and utilisation of built-in network and equipment redundancy. Whole-life costs can be reduced due to utilisation of a general-purpose control platform with a train-manufacturer-backed development roadmap and obsolescence management strategy.

Another example is the utilisation of the TCMS trainto-wayside telecommunications facilities for the transfer of non-TCMS data, such as CCTV footage retrieval, on-train data recorder logs, and passenger counts. It would theoretically be possible for each system with a data transfer need to implement an independent telecommunications strategy, but this would add significantly to the material and operational costs incurred, and replicate cyber-security attack vectors across each system.

An integrated on-board telecommunications strategy provided by TCMS also allows for greater integration on the wayside, allowing control room tools such as Bombardier’s Orbiflo to provide a harmonised approach to storing, accessing and utilising data retrieved from fleets.

This reduces the training costs associated with a less integrated toolchain from multiple vendors.

Flexibility The major benefit of TCMS is that it is flexible and adaptable to developing requirements. As functionality is generally delivered through software running on general-purpose controllers, updates to software can readily deliver new behaviours as operational experience develops or when new equipment is fitted to rolling stock.

Moreover, as software solutions specific to a TCMS platform will be re-used between fleets operated by multiple customers, selecting an established TCMS solution means individual customers benefit from incremental improvements in software quality as TCMS platform updates occur, which further improve reliability and availability.

As embedded computer processors become progressively more capable with reducing power consumption and thermal output, and as networking and telecommunications technology further develops and is adopted by the rail industry, the future for TCMS is very bright. It is inevitable that functionality will increasingly be realised in software, and the closer integration of system data provides opportunities for enhanced safety, reliability and availability and the delivery of new services to drivers, maintenance personnel and passengers with a reduced whole-life cost.

Simon Tew is the regional manager (Western Europe, Middle East & Africa) for networks and electronics in Bombardier Transportation, Derby, UK.

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48

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Chiltern Railways fleet maintenance

I

t has become commonplace for train operating companies (TOCs) to build a new maintenance facility when introducing a new fleet of trains rather than adapt an existing depot. Typical examples are: Northampton (London Midland Class 350), Ardwick (First TransPennine Class 185) and Central Rivers (CrossCountry Voyagers). This enables the depot to be purpose-built for the particular type of train with dimensions, equipment and technicians all focussed on its specific needs and procedures.

The idea is not that new and examples dating from BR days set the pattern. Two such locations are Salisbury for the South West Trains Class 159 and Aylesbury for the Chiltern Railways Class 165, then known as the Networker Turbos. The latter depot was visited recently by the IET Railway Technical & Professional Network (TPN) to learn the history of the place and see how it has adapted to the commercial railway that has evolved, including the addition of further types of rolling stock.

CLIVE KESSELL

The Chiltern Railways network This TOC regularly scores highly in performance statistics, due in some respects to much of its network being self-contained and not shared with other train companies. Operating out of Marylebone station in London, its main routes are to Aylesbury (recently extended to a new housing development north of the town at Aylesbury Vale Parkway) and to Birmingham Moor Street / Snow Hill via High Wycombe with some trains running onwards to Kidderminster. Branches from Princes Risborough to Aylesbury and from Leamington to Stratford complete the picture.

The main Aylesbury route is shared with London Underground from Harrow on the Hill to Amersham, which brings its own complications, and the High Wycombe route from Aynho Junction northwards is shared with CrossCountry and several other operators in the Birmingham area.

Later in 2015, a new spur at Bicester will enable Chiltern trains to run firstly to Water Eaton (Oxford Parkway) and in due course to Oxford main station. Not only will this bring an alternative train service to London from that city, but it will also form the start of a new east-west route linking Oxford and Aylesbury with Milton Keynes and Bedford.

With the new routes that have developed since privatisation (known collectively as the ‘Evergreen’ projects which have also brought about new platforms at Marylebone, double tracking the line north of Princes Risborough and many line speed improvements), additional trains have been required over and above the original Class 165s. So how is all this additional work embraced within the Chiltern’s fleet maintenance policy?

Chiltern Railways fleet and depots Aylesbury remains Chiltern’s main depot, its original genus being partly due to relinquishing the former diesel depot at Marylebone for a housing development under a BR property deal. The new routes have, however, needed additional depot capacity with one being built at Wembley Hill, primarily for the High Wycombe route trains, and an out-stabling depot at Stourbridge for trains that commence their daily journeys from the Birmingham area.

The fleet now comprises: »» 39 Class 165 DMUs, dating from the early 1990s and built at the BREL works in York. These are a diesel version of the electric third-rail Networker trains built for SE London services; »» 19 Class 168 DMUs, built at Derby during the late 1990s and an evolution of the 165, largely similar to a Class 170 as used by other TOCs and capable of 100mph operation; »» Four Class 172 DMUs, also built at Derby as a variety of the Class 170 unit used by other TOCs and capable of 100mph operation; »» Three Class 121 single unit diesels (Bubblecars) built in the 1950s; »» Five loco-hauled Mk III sets, four of which have been converted to power door operation, the design for much of the conversion being done in house. Traction power for these is currently Class 67 locomotives.

Chiltern’s is thus an all diesel railway. The Bubblecar units are kept for off-peak shuttle working between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough and for driver route-learning activity. They retain slam doors but are fitted with secondary door locking.

The loco hauled sets work only between Marylebone and Birmingham with the single slam door set being used only as far as Banbury. The Class 67 locomotives are being replaced during 2015 with brand new Class 68 diesels, these having more power thus enabling longer train sets to be formed.

Aylesbury depot has full maintenance facilities for the Class 165 and 168 units plus the Bubblecars, with Wembley and Stourbridge being equipped for washing, cleaning and fuelling. Heavy maintenance for the Class 172s is carried out at Willesden under an arrangement with London Overground (LOROL). The Mk III loco hauled stock is maintained at Wembley and Stourbridge and an arrangement is in place with DB Schenker for maintenance of the Class 67 locos.

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Depot activities The Aylesbury depot engages in wide ranging activities that cover not just routine maintenance but also technical investigation, modifications to rolling stock, minor crash repairs and all safety aspects associated with both fleet running and depot management. In addition, it has to be quality registered to ISO 9001 and must comply with Railway Group Standards (RGS), the

49

Technical Spec for Interoperability (TSI) and produce Methods Compliance as required for fleet operation.

As with most modern vehicles, both road and rail, the Chiltern Railway’s fleet is modular in design and construction. This means that when either routine maintenance is due or a failure has to be rectified, the action is to change out a particular module. Such work is carried out by the depot and can range from major components such as engines, transmissions, cardan shafts, alternators and air conditioning units down to train radios, signalling interfaces and information displays.

Routine maintenance tasks include re-fuelling every 1,200 miles, an ‘A’ exam every 5,000 miles and a ‘B’ exam after 30,000 miles for the Class 165 and 90 days (or 50,000 miles) for the Class 168.

For this work, the depot has four tracks of which D road is separated by a wall from the other three and is mainly used for re-fuelling. A, B and C Roads all have roof access, full-length inspection pits and jacks for vehicle lifting. Fuelling can also be undertaken here if need be.

The trains usually come into the depot as complete units under their own power but can be split according to need. All coaches are powered so driving cab vehicles can enter as a single car. Any mid-unit non-cab-fitted coach must remain coupled to a driving vehicle so as to facilitate movement.

It is normal to undertake modular change-outs one vehicle at a time in a complete unit so as to get the train back into traffic as soon as possible.

This requires careful scheduling to ensure every coach has its required maintenance at the required interval.

Auto-couplers between vehicles are mechanically compatible between most of Britain’s DMU fleet, meaning that the 165, 168 and 172 units can be coupled to each other and also, if need be, to the wider ‘Sprinter’ fleet.

This could be beneficial when the new East-West route begins operation as other types of diesel units will need to be acquired.

Once a component has been exchanged, the removed part will be sent away for servicing or repair. Typically bogies and wheelsets go to Wabtec

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

at Doncaster, engines to either LH at Barton under Needwood (now part of Wabtec) or Caterpillar (formerly Perkins) at Shrewsbury, and air conditioning units to Knorr-Bremse. Support contracts will depend on the lease for the particular fleet - some contracts are direct with Chiltern Railways, others will be via one of the rolling stock companies (ROSCOs) Adjacent to the main depot building is the wheel lathe. Chiltern Railways has much of its route crossing the Chiltern Hills, meaning that not only is it leafy, it has significant gradients as well. Although the trains all have slip-slide protection, flats and worn wheel surfaces still occur so that wheel turning is a more frequent occurrence during the autumn months.

Detecting abnormal wheel surfaces is done in conjunction with Network Rail which has installed a trackside measuring device at Banbury. Defects not detectable by the naked eye will be picked up here and this data, in combination with Chiltern’s maintenance plan, will determine when wheels need attention.

Other than the Bubblecars, which have a separate tyre, all wheels are monobloc meaning that they are a complete entity. If a wheel has to be turned because of a ‘flat’, the corresponding wheel on the other end of the axle has to be treated similarly. Getting the right ‘balance’ on a complete bogie is all part of the expertise. Wheel turning for the Mk III coaches and the Class 172 fleet is occasionally carried out at Aylesbury in the absence of facilities elsewhere.

Train protection systems Pending the introduction of ERTMS / ETCS, most British trains are equipped with two driver protection systems – AWS and TPWS. The Class 165, 168 and 172 Chiltern Railways units have, however, an additional system.

In the early 1990s, British Rail began trials of two proprietary ATP (Automatic Train Protection) systems. The chosen routes were the Chiltern lines to Aylesbury and Banbury, where the Alcatel SELCAB equipment developed from the LZB system in Germany was deployed, and the Great Western main lines which were fitted with ACEC equipment as used on Belgian and Dutch railways. Both systems remain in use today and are likely to remain so until ETCS replaces them. This means the cabs of the Class 165, 168 and 172 units are fitted with the ATP control panel as well as interfaces to the brakes and speed monitoring equipment. The ATP system is now over 20 years old and the challenge is to keep it in service with increasing problems of obtaining spares.

Additionally, LU signalling practice is used on the shared tracks between Harrow on the Hill and Amersham, which involves the use of trip cocks to automatically brake trains if a red signal is passed. Thus the 165s and 168s are also fitted with this equipment, requiring yet another interface to the braking system. All these systems have to be tested and maintained by the depot staff.

The future Chiltern Railways has a franchise lasting until 2021 and is part of the Arriva Group, now owned by DB. This gives management sufficient time to invest in new technology and equipment, not just more trains but also improved facilities for the depots.

Aylesbury operates on a 24-hour basis with five shift supervisors, 30 skilled technicians and six apprentices, a number of the latter being recruited each year.

Nothing ever stands still, and the current challenges for the Aylesbury team include managing the obsolescence of electronic components, improving the reliability of the Class 168s, preparing for Class 170 introduction on services to Oxford and learning the engineering detail of the new Class 68 locos. So there’s plenty to keep them busy.

Thanks to Richard Flint, the fleet technical manager, for giving up his time to explain the depot operation and for conducting the technical visit so enthusiastically.

Rail Engineer • May 2015

51

Time to tool up!

R

ailway depots are busy places. Trains arrive through the night, and there is very limited time before they have to be back out on the network again ready for the morning peak period. So the last thing engineers working to tight schedules need is to lose valuable time while searching for a specific tool or tool set. Lost time not only costs money but can add stress to any piece of work.

That is why there is a sound business case for equipping railway maintenance and repair depots with heavy duty, multi-drawer tool storage trolleys designed to take the knocks of daily use.

In many business sectors, including the global aerospace industry, engineering managers and their teams depend on Bahco tool storage trolleys and chests, knowing every tool can be found when it’s needed.

No irritating sorting through toolboxes or bags. No wondering: “Where on earth did I put that torque wrench or insulated screwdriver?”

Fitted drawers in seven colours Foam inlays within each drawer bring order and organisation to the workplace. Bahco manufactures more than 50 different modules,

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Buyers can choose heavy-duty trolleys from two sizes, seven colours and with six, seven, eight or twelve drawers.

When trolleys need moving, Bahco’s ‘lock and go’ system automatically secures the drawers when they are closed, while braked swivel wheels provide stability.

Fully opening drawers, with a load capacity of 45kg per drawer, move quickly and easily on ball bearing slides. Double walled frames enable drawers and slides to work perfectly, even if the frame gets damaged.

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Supplying 25kV traction power supply substations nationwide, as part of the Switchgear Substation Alliance (SSA) alongside Electren UK and EPS.

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Installation of the first Class II retrofit micro FSP’s in collaboration with iLecsys.

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Over 145 highly-trained E&P and Signalling staff across the UK.

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Signalling renewals including fitment of LED Light Engines.

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Point and track circuit renewals and upgrades, Level Crossing renewals.

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54

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Maintenance shed pipework:

not just a load of hot air

R

efurbishing new rolling stock is an important job - managed in a tough environment where engineers constantly handle potentially dangerous tools in noisy surroundings.

As maintenance sheds age, many rail operators face a real problem with compressed air contamination.

Compressed air provides power to some of the mostused applications that keep rolling stock operational, but it is generally contaminated with some of the most natural contaminants known - dirt, water and oil. Further contamination in the form of compressor oil and wear particles then mix with the atmospheric dirt and water to produce an abrasive paste, which has no lubricating properties at all.

Unless this contamination is removed from the compressed air system, operators face reduced efficiency, costly repairs and potential system breakdowns. But by being alert to specific technical triggers, maintenance and procurement teams can identify and resolve problems.

Diagnosis one: tool performance Engineers working on rolling stock refurbishment projects tend to use a lot of compressed air in their tools.

Electricity is required to manufacture compressed air.

The more air required in a facility, the more it costs to make. To keep running costs down, it’s critical to keep internal pipework clean and of a consistent diameter; this maintains optimal airflow and means the compressor doesn’t have to work so hard.

For example, The Carbon Trust’s GPG385 states that “for typical industrial systems, compressed air accounts for 10% of the electricity bill”’ and the British Compressed Air Society estimates that reducing pressure at the compressor by 1 bar is equivalent to using seven per cent less energy.

If the air pressure drop in a shed is too high, this usually means that tools are not running efficiently. It’s difficult for site staff to diagnose a problem against the background noise of a busy shed environment, so a typical response might be to turn the pressure up, or add another compressor. However, neither of these options is likely to offer any benefit. Increasing pressure means that it costs more to make the air, whilst adding a compressor generates extra electricity costs without making any difference, as the pipe can’t physically flow any more air.

55

Rail Engineer • May 2015 Diagnosis two: older steel pipework Older compressed air systems are typically constructed of galvanized steel pipework, as this material has historically been regarded as the most robust option.

But when steel pipework ages it becomes increasingly prone to rust; and rust inside an older steel pipe leads to the internal diameter decreasing. This leads to a reduction in air flowing through the pipe, and subsequently site engineers may find their tools no longer work as effectively.

Another common problem with badly run systems is the presence of water and condensate in the pipework. Where this happens, droplets come down to the tools and will destroy the tools in a much shorter timeframe. That means higher maintenance costs, and potentially unnecessary spend. So whilst technical teams may see tool repair as an inevitable problem, that’s not always the case; and operators may find that checking tool repair spend patterns over time offers clear insights that something is awry.

Permissible contamination ISO 8573 is the group of international standards relating to the quality of compressed air, and ISO 8573-1 provides guidance on the permissible amount of contamination (oil, dirt and moisture) in an air system.

Once a rail operator has determined the correct air quality for its environment, it usually works in partnership with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to agree measurement capabilities of the equipment and the test levels to be provided.

The approach OEMs take to this task varies. Parker’s Transair system was the first high-strength, aluminium compressed air system launched to market. Successfully

tested to the highest expectation of ISO 8573 for air quality, the product is totally modular, leak-free and third-party certified.

Past perceptions around the perceived strength of aluminium compared to steel are now changing. Transair’s consistency of airflow, high burst pressures (ensuring reliability and safety) and ease of replacement is key to this shifting landscape. For example, a Transair drop can be installed within minutes, whereas replacing steel pipework is an extremely time-consuming job (and more likely to disrupt busy schedules), so it’s an economical and reliable alternative to traditional steel networks. What’s more, technicians used to steel claw-type fittings will find it easy to use the valve and male thread combination used with this system.

Parker also has a flow calculator which checks existing pipework efficiency. In the event of any problems, the company can advise on options for pipework replacement, ensuring the correct size of pipe is specified and fitted. An energy calculator supplements this advice by working out an estimated payback of changing the system.

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56

Rail Engineer • May 2015

A reliable approach to maintenance Traditional maintenance

T

oday, more people travel by rail than at any point since the 1920s. However, such growth in popularity is resulting in significant pressure to ensure the network can cope with this demand. With an ageing infrastructure and fleet, maximising reliability has become one of the biggest challenges for the industry.

Investing in new trains isn’t always the answer. Not only can the cost be prohibitive, but the sophisticated technologies that now come with a new fleet can introduce complexity with greater opportunities for system failures to occur. In fact, recent moves to bring Class 20, 37 and 47 locomotives back from preservation or storage to mainline service demonstrates that, with the right maintenance, assets can continue to perform long beyond their design life.

If investment is to be made in new rolling stock, addressing the importance of reliability within the design phase is crucial to minimising the opportunities for failures.

Reliability initially comes from the design and build quality. If the initial design is good then it stands to reason that the equipment will be reliable, providing that the design is translated into a good build by ensuring that good quality materials that meet the appropriate standards are used. Furthermore, during service, reliability will not be retained at its inherent level unless appropriate preventive maintenance is carried out.

There are two main types of maintenance.

Preventive maintenance is carried out at a chosen time when manpower, facilities and spares are readily available. This should ideally represent approximately 80% of all maintenance activity.

The remaining 20% is corrective maintenance, which may require a train to be recovered back to depot and a replacement train brought into service. This is likely to also attract penalty minutes and maintenance that must be carried out when manpower, facilities and spares are not readily available.

Getting the balance right is key to ensuring optimum maintenance - the most reliable train will be the most cost-effective to run.

One unexpected faulty train that needs to be recovered can quickly result in corrective maintenance costs escalating. Unreliability can also have an impact on reputation, if a company has experienced ongoing reliability issues then it is likely to be more difficult to re-lease these trains at the end of the current lease.

ART COUPER

Alternative maintenance regimes Reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) is a process to ensure that systems continue to do what their users require in their present operating context. It is generally used to achieve improvements in fields such as the establishment of safe minimum levels of maintenance. Successful implementation of RCM will lead to an increase in cost effectiveness, reliability, machine uptime, and a greater understanding of the level of risk that the organisation is managing.

A full strategic maintenance review (SMR) should be conducted when it is considered that the existing preventive maintenance is inappropriate and possibly carried out at inappropriate intervals.

This is likely to be the case where no recent thorough review has been recently carried out (within the last 10 years). One such example is the Class 91 locomotive fleet where RCM was applied. This allowed the fleet owner to double the reliability and remove one heavy repair from the life cycle of each locomotive. Notably, this is a time-intensive activity which provides potentially strong benefits but does take longer to complete and, in turn, reap the benefits. It is necessary, however, if a change to the overall maintenance strategy is required.

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58

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Alternatively, a performance improvement programme (PIP), which helps to address the known faults and reduce maintenance costs quickly, may be carried out. A PIP should be conducted when the existing preventative maintenance is considered to be adequate but there is poor reliability. This approach will identify the key systems responsible for the poor reliability and identify improvements by reviewing operations, preventative maintenance (system RCM analysis) and modifications.

A PIP enables the benefits of RCM to be obtained without the time consuming full RCM or SMR requirements, providing results quickly.

This may be considered where the fleet is small and the available budget to make improvements is limited. A PIP is carried out using the following steps: »» Analyse failure data to identify the worst performing systems/equipment; »» Investigate those systems looking at any operational issues involved, carrying out RCM and making recommendations for modifications (in that order of priority); »» Identify changes necessary and implement them.

Both of these approaches involve a robust, structured and auditable process. BMT has worked at all levels in the rail industry, alongside both train operating companies (TOCs) and rolling stock operating companies (ROSCOs), in the UK and abroad. The company played an instrumental role in writing the original UK National Fleet Reliability Improvement Programme (N-FRIP), the Twenty Point Plan Document (CR/TP1203) for the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), and continued to support the latter until Issue 2.

Through asset optimisation, BMT assists its clients in developing optimal solutions by analysing designs - focusing on improving reliability and availability. Availability is analysed and increased by formulating and delivering optimised maintenance strategies at vehicle and fleet levels.

BMT delivers maintenance optimisation for clients by developing the most cost-effective and worthwhile preventive maintenance regime for rolling stock and associated equipment using an approach utilising knowledge and expertise gained in other industries. In particular, the use of RCM, a methodology originally developed in the aerospace industry, has allowed BMT to achieve substantial benefits for its rail clients.

For example, one fleet of electric locomotives showed a significant improvement in reliability performance coupled with a 30% reduction in preventive maintenance workload.

A further example of how BMT has helped to further improve maintenance planning and thence achieve optimised availability and operating costs is its work with VIA Rail Canada. Focusing on the train operator’s newly refurbished fleet of GPA-30H locomotives, BMT recently carried out an RCM analysis of the locomotive and its sub-systems including the newly-installed head-end power generating set.

One output of the RCM study was to identify

and add to the condition monitoring procedures and techniques that are currently used by VIA Rail Canada, in order to develop an optimised condition-based maintenance strategy.

Bob Becker, director of technical services and chief engineer for VIA Rail Canada, commented: “BMT’s customer-focused approach, from initial study to final report, places VIA Rail on the correct track for optimised maintenance procedures, cost-effective condition monitoring techniques and our ultimate goal of full condition-based maintenance. The initial recommendations have already produced significant cost reductions for the generator set overhauls, with more locomotive savings to come in the future.”

BMT is also working with a new DMU fleet which is in the process of utilising RCM to help extend Level 1 - Level 4 maintenance and it has been estimated that the customer will secure a 33% saving on maintenance costs each year.

By using techniques such as RCM, train owners and operators can improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs. In the face of ever increasing demand for a reliable service, it’s easy to see why maximising the reliability of the UK’s rolling stock fleet must remain a top priority.

Art Couper is senior consultant at BMT Reliability Consultants Limited, a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd.

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60

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Supporting and improving train depot operations across the world

T

he world is an ever-smaller place, and the rail industry is increasingly being dominated by international companies and global players.

However there is still room for specialist companies with particular skills, and it was to one of these that an Australian company recently turned.

Yarra Trams, operators of Melbourne’s light rail network, recently awarded a major consultancy contract to Unipart Rail to support passenger vehicle operations in its depot facilities.

The operator has engaged a team of expert practitioners for the next 12 months to develop and implement new ways of working, drawing on experience gained from similar projects in the UK and Australia where Unipart Rail has been operating for over seven years.

The aim of the project is to support Yarra Trams operational teams to learn lean tools and embed these skills into their working practices to ensure that the enhancements gained through the redeveloped facilities are fully realised to deliver a ‘best in class’ tram maintenance facility.

Yarra Trams is keen to adopt its own ‘Lean Way’, developing its own lean capability in the deployment of the principles, tools and techniques of the lean methodology and to support the development of the other members of staff. The process of establishing this lean capability embeds the lean skills and approach into the organisation to ensure sustainable benefits in the long term which is central to the consultancy approach utilised

by Unipart Rail.

Global reach As a global supply company of products and services for the rail industry, Unipart Rail has unique expertise in providing comprehensive supply chain management, engineering support and consultancy services that improves the effectiveness of the complete supply chain from a wide range of over 700 global suppliers through to specific points of delivery, exactly when required.

The Yarra Trams contract that was won in Australia shows how the company can provide support to train and tram depots on a worldwide basis. Veronique Lajoie, general manager of Yarra Trams, commented: “One of the benefits of using Unipart is their experience in engaging with the teams and bringing them to change their culture step by step. Their approach of building our internal capability by different levels of training among the teams will allow us to get ownership of the Lean approach.”

By working closely with customers and suppliers, Unipart Rail organises and delivers a logistics solution that is designed to make the partners’ operations as effective as possible. This is achieved through exceptionally high levels of material availability and a fully aligned supply chain.

Aware that every client has its own individual requirements, the company ensures satisfaction through a holistic approach to the railway industry. By integrating the skills of its 800 employees, the specifically tailored

Rail Engineer • May 2015

61

products are available on a Next Day delivery service to provide a fast re-supply capability to handle unplanned maintenance issues.

Stock can be supplied as total component packages, in kitting solutions and scheduling for

services and experience in the industry with its desire to offer the best solution, the company finds new innovations that not only benefit the customer, but the industry as a whole.

This collaborative approach has been a major driver in the company and lead to Unipart Rail being one of the first companies in the rail industry to gain certification to the BS11000 Standard for Collaborative Business Relationships.

The achievement of the 2015 UKRIA national rail award for Collaborative Working by Unipart Rail recognises this commitment to working with its partners to deliver superior solutions at excellent value.

Scheduled deliveries Unipart Rail is also a leading stockist and distributor of an extensive range of rail industry products with over 70,000 material stock-heads to support industry peaks and troughs and shipped to over 100 delivery points in the UK every day of the year. Many

complex material packages to achieve overhaul and maintenance milestones. By understanding the requirements of the depot’s activities materials can be delivered at the right time, in the right place to ensure C4 and C6 exam work is completed to schedule, for example.

From a customer’s point of view Unipart Rail provides cost effective transactional processes with a single supplier that reduces inventory costs and stockholding.

Engineering and technical support In addition to supply chain management and consultancy services, Unipart Rail offers a complete package of technical and engineering-based solutions to identify and resolve operational problems and concerns encountered by train operators worldwide.

The full range of engineering services engineering Supply Chain includes Technical Overhaul & Repair Services Support Services Services product support, obsolescence management, quality and risk management, safety and incident management and warranty and reliability management and is deployed via dedicated fleet engineers who work closely with depot staff to identify issues and develop long term, cost effective solutions.

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62

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Action is the key to success C

onsultants can add an important string (or even several strings) to the bow of any company. They bring specialist knowledge and skills which it would be impractical to employ on a full time basis. Do you want to know how barriers around temporary works will affect pedestrian flows on a busy station concourse?

Or precisely which lubricant will give the best results when using a mechanical actuator at -10ºC? Or what mix of polymer to use to fill a void in an old tunnel wall that is subject to water ingress on rainy days? Ask a consultant.

They can advise on your business as well. How do you minimise the tax that you pay on a long-term contract with stage payments? What level of stockholding is the minimum you can get away with while not endangering production rates? In what way will placing added emphasis on sustainability affect your competitiveness?

Call a consultant.

Uncertainty But what if you don’t know what you don’t know?

You have a feeling that something is not as it should be - profits are down, lead-times are up, customer complaints are increasing, revenues are decreasing - but you can’t put your finger on exactly what’s causing it.

You know you have a problem, but you don’t know what it is. Who do you call then? The answer is still to call a consultant. But in this case it is to call one which offers a broad range of diagnosis and advice that will first of all uncover your problem and then suggest how you fix it.

Better still, call one which will actually fix it for you.

That’s not as obvious as it sounds. A general malaise can be very difficult to pin down. It could be a skills shortage, so training might be needed. Or perhaps it is a system problem - everyone is doing everything right but the procedures are wrong and so are giving the wrong

result. Perhaps a department is too small and can’t cope with its workload. Or it could be too bloated and a drain on resources.

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

Definition and solution The first step is to understand the current situation and so identify problem areas.

“The rail industry is looking to streamline its processes,” said Adam. “To start with, we need to look at the business, see how it communicates internally and how it aligns and implements its process improvements with the organisation’s strategy. We will then want to understand and define the problem and not give a ‘one size fits all’ answer. It has to be bespoke based on that particular business.”

The perceived single problem could actually be a combination of several, so they all need to be individually catalogued and the relationship between them noted. Then measures can be put in place to fix them.

“Long term, we want the client to be able to go forward by themselves,” Adam added.

“Some consultants like to make themselves indispensible, ensuring that they get ongoing business. We don’t work that way - it’s just a continuing drain on company resources.

We want to solve the problem with the client learning and enhancing their internal capability so they don’t have to rely on people like us.”

So what sort of problems does Adam uncover when he looks at a business? “The main one is performance. Remember, KPIs (key performance indicators) drive behaviour, both positive and negative, so it’s critical to have the right measures aligned with strategy and improvement priorities. TCMUK’s skills in strategy management are most often called upon to help drive a three-to-five year plan to improve performance. We do this by

disseminating the forward vision into 12-month tactical objectives and improvement priorities based on the principles of customer focus, stakeholder value and process management.”

One of the most common problems that TCMUK gets asked to overcome is ‘effective and efficient business processes’, for which it uses process optimisation techniques.

These go through four phases: analyse, define, implement and sustain. The focus is to minimise cost, maximise throughput and increase both efficiency and profitability. It enables teams to reduce waste and duplication and frees up much-needed time in the process cycle, creating greater customer value.

The dissemination of easy-to-understand management information is crucial, and TCMUK promotes the concept of an Operations Room. Here, on wall-mounted or freestanding display boards, proven visual management techniques are used to monitor the outputs of any process and team behaviours. The abnormal can easily be distinguished from the normal, driving ownership, responsibility and accountability.

The focus is to minimise cost, maximise throughput and increase both efficiency and profitability.

Many companies around the country have already benefited from this approach, some of them several times. A Global precision measuring specialist is one of them. “I have used TCMUK’s help on a number of occasions,” commented operations director Mark Wilding.

“They are not your typical consultants, taking pride in getting the job done and leaving an organisation with the ability to continue with their journey themselves.”

He then added: “I would strongly recommend TCMUK for any business transformation and strategic needs.”

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66

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Asset inspection and information

now there’s an app for it

T

he most visible feature of Britain’s railway is its trains. They can be seen speeding over the countryside and through cities, taking passengers to work and on holiday. Decked out in the bright liveries of the various operators, they are very photogenic and are often on television and in magazines.

But under every train is the track 20,000 miles of it around the country. It too goes through countryside and cities, and over bridges and through tunnels. And because just one fault could bring disaster to a train, and the passengers inside, it all has to be inspected - continuously, methodically and rigorously.

At the same time, the signalling alongside the track, the bridges it runs over, the tunnels it goes through and the stations where passengers board and alight, they all have to be inspected too. It’s a huge job.

So how does the infrastructure owner, Network Rail, carry out that inspection? In former times, it was using people - lots of people.

However, this is the age of technology, so the railway has turned to high-tech companies to come up with ways to carry out this inspection using equipment that can be carried on board trains. This new technology combines mapping, video recording and analytical software to carry out inspections in a fraction of the time it used to take, and far more regularly.

One of the companies which Network Rail engaged with is Omnicom Engineering, a leading-edge engineering company specialising in the development and integration of software and hardware platforms for asset survey and fixed and mobile asset monitoring. Over the past 19 years, it has developed a reputation for providing pioneering products and solutions to the transportation sector utilising the latest technologies. Today, the company delivers products and solutions that, through the provision of accurate asset condition knowledge, enable clients to concentrate on their core business - managing their infrastructure assets.

Company capabilities The benefits to the infrastructure owners are throughout the asset lifecycle: from surveying for design, condition assessment for maintenance through to determination of renewal requirement. The product range can be deployed readily through purchase or as a service offering and Omnicom’s products have received a number of innovation awards within the UK over the past decade.

Additionally Omnicom specialises in developing bespoke systems to meet specific customer needs by integration of appropriate hardware and software. Advances in technology are providing opportunities to manage the infrastructure base more efficiently and effectively through a combination of technical skill and transport sector domain knowledge.

Some of the skills include the integration of the key components into business solutions, including imaging platforms, inertial measurement, distance measurement (laser), GNSS (global navigation satellite system) and high-speed data capture. A design and build capability, including software development, provides the means to meet customers-specific requirements such as embedded software/firmware, high speed data capture and networking, data processing and storage, data visualisation and decision support tools.

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68

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Three-dimensional asset information For the last 15 years, OmniSurveyor3D® has been used to create ‘as is’ asset inventory designs. Using a system based upon high-resolution digital images integrated with accurate vehicle position and orientation, the application enables users to undertake accurate three‐dimensional measurements and acquire and validate accurate asset information. It is also used for basic signal sighting, using the Signal Sighting Image Models (SSIM) developed for Network Rail Signalling Innovations Group.

The software also allows the user to undertake design verification, route familiarisation and pre‐planning of possessions or site excursions. The OmniSurveyor3D system has been successfully applied to many signalling scheme design projects. The use of accurate asset data captured from the system, together with the Automatic Mapping of the Railway tools, makes designing a scheme plan more efficient.

The provision of both OmniSurveyor3D asset inventory and track centreline data form the basis of ‘as is’ CAD diagrams used in the early planning stages of a re‐ signalling scheme design project. The addition of high speed laser scanning capability gives the ability to create 3D models of the areas being surveyed. This can then be rendered back into OmniSurveyor3D, providing particular benefits in areas such as tunnels where, due to the low lighting, it is difficult to determine the precise location of assets.

On-board inspection Recently, Omnicom has implemented an image processing system known as OmniVision®, for plain line pattern recognition, to automate the detection of

defects. This has been rolled out to five vehicles within the Network Rail maintenance fleet and is being used to gradually replace basic visual inspection.

Drawing on this expertise, the company can provide machine vision feasibility studies for target business processes. A recent study involved development relating to automatic recognition of vegetation encroachment on rail infrastructure, limitations found through the development lifecycle and established a set of recommendations for future work.

Omnicom has detailed knowledge of location technologies. The company has completed work related to the introduction of the European Train Control System to assess various technologies capable of meeting the requirements of determining train location for this system, including the possibility of replacing lineside location beacons with an on-board navigation system.

Utilising its positioning knowledge and tools, Omnicom released its TrackLocator® application (app) to support location determination whilst trackside. It combines this with the phone’s GPS location and converts it to an ELR (engineer’s line reference) and mileage using OmniRTPS® map algorithms. The main screen (user interface) is a simple Google Map background with the user’s location displayed as well as the ELR and mileage that has been calculated.

As well as displaying the live location and map, the app allows the user to take a picture which is then stamped with the ELR, mileage, latitude, longitude, date and time, and to save a note which has auto-included the same information.

Both of these items can then be used with the standard operating system features. TrackLocator is currently available for iOS (6 and 7), Android and Windows8 Mobile.

Omnicom is also working with Network Rail to utilise smart phone and tablet hardware to both record the position of the device, and hence the data being recorded, and to use the 3D accelerometers within the device to measure ‘bumps’ or ‘rough ride’. The recording is sent back to a central server for processing. Multiple recordings are analysed to determine areas of rough ride/poor ride quality on a crowd-sourced basis.

The Ride Quality Monitoring Service consists of a ride quality data collection app for smart phones and tablets and a web-based data processing, storage and visualisation service.

So the railway really has entered a high-tech age.

Whether it is a question of determining location, acquiring asset information, inspecting track or even recording ride quality, Omnicom has an app for it.

Rail Engineer • May 2015

69

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70

Rail Engineer • May 2015

Access restricted

situation normal for Corsham Up and over

GRAHAME TAYLOR

C

orsham in Wiltshire is a deceptive town. On the face of it, it has a picturesque main street with aged stone buildings. Gentile shops and olde worlde pubs. It’s a picture postcard town - or so it seems. Sure, there’s the never-ending roar of the A4. After all, this was the old London Road before the M4 was built.

So where’s the mystery? The mystery is underground. Deep in the Oolite limestone in a network of tunnels that would have been - and who knows, might still be - a regional seat of government in the event of nuclear Armageddon. Corsham isn’t as innocent as it appears.

Brunel drove his new Great Western Railway through - or rather just to the south of Corsham, hacking through the Box Hill - his famous Box tunnel. And it’s from the eastern portal end that there is, or rather was, an access to this other subterranean and secret world.

Electrification is coming This is just setting the scene. There’s a much more prosaic world of Corsham, of course, especially around the normal Pound Mead housing estate - built just to the south of the underground labyrinth and near to the site of the old Corsham station. This closed in 1965 but there’s still a useful piece of land for railway engineering works. Off Pound Mead runs a footpath to a neighbouring estate, across the railway and over a footbridge.

As all must be aware by now, electrification is coming to the Great Western main line. With it comes the need to ensure correct electrical clearances and, guess what, the old footbridge failed the test. Electrification has been on the cards for so long now that this was not a surprise, but when the green light was given it was time to sort out a definitive scheme. This was worked up from basic requirements by Atkins until a final design involving a standard London Midland steel footbridge was adopted.

The neighbours Once upon a time, this footpath and bridge was in open countryside, but now it’s smack in the middle of housing with very constrained access. It was obvious early-on that the neighbours needed to be kept informed of all the works and especially what was going to happen when the old bridge came out and the new one was lifted in. The proximity of all these constraints drove the design. Raising a footbridge doesn’t just affect the main span structure. There are ramifications for the approaches as well. Inevitably they need to be longer - but in the case of the bridge at Corsham, the lengthenings were kept to a minimum by hogging the main span to achieve the lift of approximately 800mm.

Despite its lowly origins, the footbridge was well used and so the diversion of 1km during a complete closure had to be sensitively negotiated. A temporary structure was erected which carried the inevitable diverted services water, electricity, telecomm cables and the like.

Diversion works took place from 10 December.

The new bridge was fabricated by Nusteel and transported from Kent to the old station yard ready for the 27-hour possession on 21/22 March. Main contractor Hochtief hired a 500 tonne crane from Ainscough and lifted the new span in over the houses. The existing footbridge bank seats were retained so avoiding the need to construct new footings.

The occupants had been given the opportunity to spend the night in a hotel while all this went on. Both the Network Rail and Rail Engineer web sites have an impressive timelapse video of the whole operation.

Relations with the neighbours have remained positive throughout and all that remains now is for the approaches to be completed and the services to be diverted back onto the new bridge. As Minhaz Uddin, Network Rail’s project engineer says, “On the next day we were greeted by residents very pleased with their nice new footbridge - with its ‘holly green’ paintwork!”

Another secret Normality will return to Corsham although there is the possibility of the old station reopening. And the hidden subterranean world just a few hundred yards away wasn’t affected in the slightest. It just sits there waiting for our next national crisis.

But maybe the best-kept secret in Corsham is ‘Cinnamon’, a really excellent restaurant in the High Street. Well worth a visit.

Rail Engineer • May 2015

71

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Rail Engineer • May 2015

Let there be light!

STUART MARSH

C

live Kessell’s article in issue 122 (December 2014) introduced us to the techniques of fibre blowing. So when Emtelle, a leading manufacturer of blown fibre products, staged an open day for the rail industry at its Hawick factory and head office site, Rail Engineer was naturally keen to learn more about production and installation processes and the benefits that this developing technology can provide.

Emtelle itself has grown over the past three decades from humble beginnings as a minor manufacturer to its status today as a global provider of fibre networking infrastructure.

Under the brand name FibreFlow, it produces an impressive range of ducting systems and specialised fibre optic cables. As well as manufacturing sites in Hawick and nearby Jedburgh, the company also operates factories in Denmark and India, with a total workforce of over 800.

Micro and Mini Emtelle produces a broad range of fibre optic cables, some of which are specifically designed to be blown into its duct systems using compressed air.

Microcable fibre units are intended for use in low friction 5mm micro-tube assemblies (micro-ducts). The bare buffered fibres, either multi-mode or single-mode, are firstly protected within an extruded resin coating. This in turn is surrounded by a low-friction polymeric sheath. With fibre counts ranging from 2 to 12, Microcable ranges in diameter between 1.1mm and 1.6mm. It has a maximum blowing distance of 1200 metres.

The Minicables range offers similar advantages to the Microcable series, but they are used when a higher fibre count is required.

They range from 12 to 288 fibre cores, with corresponding diameters of 5.8mm to 10.5mm.

The fibres are contained within gel-filled loose tubes, typically with 12 fibres per tube. A central strength member is provided and the cable is protected by an extruded low friction outer jacket.

The Emtelle ducting systems and fittings, as used by Network Rail in Scotland, were described in Clive’s article. They are manufactured from

scratch at the Hawick factory, starting with the extrusion of the inner polyethylene tubes.

Six extrusion lines work continuously to meet ongoing customer requirements. A low-friction inner lining is extruded concurrently with the tube outer wall. Up to 24 individual micro ducts can then be bundled together to form the finished product, incorporating fillers, metallic moisture barriers and a variety of extruded jackets.

The versions used by Network Rail so far are of two types - direct burial and direct install. In the direct burial type. a PVC filler surrounds the tube bundle. This is then surrounded by a 125µm aluminium water-barrier that has an adhesive coating on its outer surface. An extruded sheath of flexible black polyethylene bonds with this adhesive and a tough outer jacket of HDPE is then added.

The direct install micro duct system, intended for use within existing troughing, is similar in construction but does not have the tough outer HDPE layer. As polyethylene has a high coefficient of expansion, two longitudinal strength members of glass reinforced plastic are embedded within the jacket. These stabilise the expansion and contraction properties of the micro duct over a large temperature range.

How is it blown?

So what about the fibre blowing technique?

This was demonstrated by Emtelle engineers during the open day and it appeared to be very straightforward. Once the micro duct system is in place, it’s a simple procedure to connect up a fibre blowing head. Push-fit connectors can be used to extend the Microduct or Miniduct

to a convenient position for the fibre cable reel, portable air compressor and fibre blowing head to be set up. Expendable O-rings and gland seals are used to make everything air tight and the cable can then be fed into the duct.

A system of motor-driven rollers built into the blowing head feeds the cable into the duct at a constant rate, usually at about 50 metres per minute. As the cable enters the duct and friction increases, the feed rate starts to fall. With perhaps 300-400 metres of cable within the duct, the air supply to the blowing head is turned on and the feed rate immediately rises again.

The flow of air passing over the entire length of cable produces a fluid drag that gently carries the cable along the duct.

In this way it’s possible to blow up to 2000 metres of cable, requiring an air pressure of 10 to 15 Bar, depending on the duct size, and a typical air flow of 100 litres per minute. This maximum stage length matches up nicely with the standard duct reel sizes of 1000-metres or 2000-metres.

Longer distances can be blown, of course, by fleeting the emerging cable and then onward blowing it. The fibre blowing head can also be used to blow a cable out of a duct if need be.

Applications and installations Emtelle’s engagement with Network Rail began four years ago, when the concept and benefits of air blown fibre systems were discussed. Various iterations of designs were proposed, culminating with the installation of lineside fibre as part of the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) phase 1 in 2014. This 11km trial installation between Sighthill East Junction and Greenhill Junction

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signal box uses a Microduct system containing three 5mm tubes accommodating a 4-core fibre optic Microcable. In this application, the fibre cables are used solely for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telecoms, with the fibres being spliced into BOP (Box on Post) lineside enclosures. The sub-duct runs within the same lineside troughing as the existing FTN cable, which has not been disturbed.

Following the success of the EGIP trial, a similar, but larger, duct system has now been installed on the Borders Railway project between Edinburgh and Tweedbank. Here the ducting has been directly buried by using a combination of mole ploughing and open trench digging. The duct has three 12mm subducts, one of which accommodates a 24-fibre Minicable that is used for signalling purposes.

There are also three 5mm Microducts, each containing four-fibre Microcables for VoIP telephony.

A similar technique will also be used on the EGIP phase 2 project between Greenhill and Winchburgh. On this section there is currently no FTN network, so an Emtelle duct system will accommodate node to node links in the form of Minicables. Lineside services will make use of four-core Microcables.

Chatting with Roy Brader of Linbrooke Services, he was full of praise for the Emtelle

fibre blowing concept and the use of fibre optics generally on the national rail network. On electrified routes, any systems relying on copper cables need to be immunised against inductive interference. Roy estimates that, on the EGIP scheme alone, the use of fibre optics has saved approximately £400,000 in immunisation costs.

Blown-fibre systems seem set to create substantial savings in other ways too. This quick and easy method of installing secure and robust lineside fibre cables makes the use of IP (Internet Protocol) technology a cost-effective proposition. On the Borders Rail Project, the Edinburgh SSI (solid state Interlocking) signaling is interfaced through MPLS (Multi-Protocol

Label Switching) routers in conjunction with IP technology, making use solely of the lineside fibre optic backbone.

In view of the cost savings and versatility offered by this technology it seems clear that it will now be deployed elsewhere on the national rail network. The Borders Railway Project is very much seen to be leading the way on the concept of a fibre only railway. Ease of installation, reliability in service and the simplicity of adding or removing cables at will make it a no-brainer.

So will the entire UK rail network one day rely solely on fibre optic cabling for data and voice communications? Almost certainly, the answer is yes.

Drop Tube

Emtelle’s Blown Fibre System enables new fibre installation technology for Trackside Systems & Rail applications

Splice Dome

To Railway Station DBmf

Emtelle – guided by experience, driven towards the future Given that fibre is used for critical information, such as emergency phones, cameras and monitoring, it’s clear that the technology used to create such a system should allow easy installation, offer limitless bandwidth and be future-proof. Fibre – specifically blown fibre – is the technology that best meets these criteria.

So where does Emtelle fit into all this?

We provide and develop end-to-end blown fibre solutions for Rail Networks.

Our high-speed fibre solutions carry crucial data back and forth between remote locations and control centres. These high bandwidth solutions generate major benefits for Rail operators, engineers and the travelling public. Emtelle are a global supplier of blown fibre solutions and as well as manufacturing, we offer assistance with designs, installation training and fibre blowing training to our customers on a global basis.

What does Emtelle offer the Rail industry?

Over the last quarter-century Emtelle has developed from a typical developer and manufacturer into a full-scale solutions provider. We can now offer complete passive network solutions for Rail and other sectors, including Fibre-to-the-X (FttX), Power and Telemetry.

Performance – engineered to perfection As fibre networks for the rail industry typically demands consistent and high-level network performance - downtime can be extremely problematic. Also, should a network require maintenance or upgrades, disruption should be minimal.

Projects:

With our technology, fibre is simply blown in and out of already-established ducts, so network modification can be done with ease, ensuring maximum

Microcable Fibre Unit

Drop Tubes

Microduct Tube Assembly

Drop Closure

Optical Fibre Mini Cable

uptime, enhanced efficiency and a high level of operational security.

Value – getting more mileage out of Fibre in Rail Environments “In terms of investment costs, our network solutions offer significant benefits, in terms of reduction of the civil work, the skill level required and the ease of repair. In addition, fibre optic infrastructure supplied

by Emtelle is currently being supplied for Rail Projects. The blown fibre products supplied are upgradeable (for future proofing) and there are no distance limitations which you would see with a comparable copper network, which saves on Operating Expenses (OpEx) for the operator,” says Simon Wade, Sales Manager.

Our Rail solutions realise a return on investment surprisingly quickly: • Flexibility and Scalability following the demand for services • Reduced day-one Capital Expenses (CapEx) • Lower OpEx • Direct Bury and Trough friendly products Contact: Simon Wade – UK Sales Manager – email simonw@emtelle.com Tel 07811 377723

■ Perth – Mandurah Railway (Australia) ■ Kuala Lumpur monorail system (Malaysia) ■ Gotthard Railway Tunnel (Switzerland) Emtelle | Haughhead | Hawick TD9 8LF tel: +44 (0)1450 364000 | fax: +44 (0)1450 364001 | www.emtelle.com | info@emtelle.com

E N G A G E . L I S T E N.I NNOVAT E .D E L I VE R .

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LU Northern Line goes CBTC M

uch has been written to explain the operation and benefits of Communications Based Train Control (CBTC).

By default, such technology has become associated with modern metro operations around the world. Lines that employ CBTC enjoy a significant increase in train running capacity as well as achieving automatic train operation (ATO), automatic train protection (ATP) and improved information to the travelling public.

However, converting an existing line from conventional signalling to CBTC can be a tortuous process and London Underground has experienced some challenges with such upgrades. The Jubilee line has had a history of problems when, firstly, the original plan for ATO had to be abandoned prior to the Millenium and, secondly, the subsequent deployment of the Thales Seltrac system encountered many problems before commissioning was finally achieved in 2011 in readiness for the London Olympics.

Even the Victoria line upgrade to CBTC using an Invensys (now Siemens) system needed considerable weekend line closures before a phased introduction could take place.

However, perseverance is a virtue and the Northern line has recently been fully equipped and commissioned using the Thales Seltrac CBTC technology with only minimum disruption to the train service and hardly any of the users even noticing that an upgrade had taken place. Not being on the front page of the newspapers with reports of travel chaos is testimony to a successful project. Rail Engineer recently visited both London Underground and Thales to see how lessons had been learned.

The Thales Seltrac system This technology, originally developed for the Vancouver Sky Train network, has been around since the 1990s.

First used in the UK by Docklands Light Railway, the technology was designed for moving block operation using a continuous track-mounted loop that gives full ATO (Automatic Train Operation) and also allows trains to ‘close up’ during high density running.

Each loop is mounted within the ‘four foot’ running rails with a transition every 25 metres where a phase change takes place. Train location is thus confirmed at every transition point and this works in conjunction with train odometry and accelerometers for accurate positioning data. The transmission from loop to train is an inductive couple of around 56KHz. Movement Authorities (MAs) are generated from the control centre equipment and are calculated in real time.

The MA will extend forward as the train in front advances.

To maximise capacity, as trains close up and slow down, the MA will allow a following train to get within 50 metres of the preceding train but the precise distance will depend on the gradient at that point and the actual speed of both trains.

Rail Engineer • May 2015

CLIVE KESSELL

Each train receives an individually addressed telegram at least every three seconds or when a new command is given.

In the event of no telegram being received in the timeframe, an automatic stop will happen. During normal running, the MA will take the train to the next station stopping point where the accuracy of position is at worst 50cm but is normally ± 10cm to align with platform screen doors.

The core of the train equipment is two VOBCs (Vital OnBoard Computers) with associated aerials to read the loop information, one at each end of the train. Each of these has a duplicated computer that requires both to be in agreement before commands to the train traction and braking systems can be transmitted (two out of two configuration). Both VOBCs act independently, with the one adjacent to the driving end normally being used once the driver logs in.

Should this fail, the system will switch to the other VOBC at the rear which then automatically adjusts to the train length when assigning new Movement Authorities. The ‘distance to go’ is always calculated from the front of the train. Connection between the two VOBCs is by both hard wired train lines and a serial data link.

Equipping the Northern line Both the Jubilee and Northern line upgrades were let as one contract in 2004 with design work taking place up to 2006. From then, a lull in proceedings occurred while Thales and London Underground took stock of how the installation, testing and commissioning would be progressed and to ascertain the demarcation of responsibilities. With the Jubilee line having priority and being commissioned over the period December 2010 to June 2011, extra time was available to plan for the Northern line which was seen as more complex with its two north south routes across central London, complicated junctions at Camden Town and Kennington, and two northern branches.

The architecture of the Seltrac system as applied to the Northern line is structured around a dedicated fibre optic network from the control centre at a new north London site (Highgate) connecting into selected station equipment rooms. From these the information to the loops is fed by coaxial cable. To obtain full resilience, six transmission rings are provided that segment the railway into logical sections.

The trains, known as 1995 stock, had been in service since the latter part of that decade and thus required retro-fitting with the CBTC equipment. This presented quite a challenge as the vehicles had lots of discrete computers for the various train functions coupled with a multitude of hard wiring. Around 2000 wiring changes per cab end, mainly to accommodate the double ended VOBC configuration, had to be carried out in the process of conversion.

This work was done by Alstom, which own the trains and leases them to London Underground, but with the full participation of local staff at both Edgware and Morden depots. Retro-fitting is never easy, each train needing to be out of service for 14 days and costing £400k.

Trains can operate in one of three modes: »» Full ATO mode where the drivers have only to control door opening / closing and press two start buttons to set the train moving. The driver has a screen showing the MA for reference purposes. This is the normal operating condition. »» Protected Manual Mode where the train is manually driven to the limits of the MA with the in-built train protection system causing automatic braking if the MA looks like being exceeded. Drivers may choose to use this mode as a means of greater vigilance when planned trackside work is taking place or when adhesion conditions are poor and more sensitive driving techniques are needed. All drivers are expected to use this mode on occasions so as to remain familiar with the operation. »» Restricted Manual Mode for when the communication link to the train is lost. In such circumstances there is no Movement Authority but trains can be driven ‘on sight’ at a maximum speed of 17kph following a voice instruction from control. Safety protection is maintained by lineside ‘remote secure indicators’ that assure the correct setting of points and also by the continuing function of axle counters to give train position information. This mode is used in the depots to get a train to the system entry point but the occasions when it is used on the main line are now extremely rare.

If a train suffers a major electrical or mechanical failure, a ‘train doctor’ at control talks the driver through various reset procedures such as power down / power up. If this is not

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successful, an on-call technician will be despatched to the failed train and, if necessary, arrangements can be made for the following train to push the failure to a stabling siding.

Changeover to CBTC operation Migration strategy centred around six stages, starting with the short section from High Barnet to West Finchley in February 2013, followed by the section to Highgate including Finchley Central and the Mill Hill East spur.

Having gained some operational experience, the difficult section onwards to Angel and Euston was then tackled including the important Camden Town multi line junction.

Stage four embraced both the central London routes (City and Charing Cross Branches) including the combining line junction at Kennington with its semi-circular reversal loop.

Following that, the south line to Morden with its stabling depot was cut over and finally, in June 2014, the section from Belsize Park to Edgware including the depot at Golders Green was implemented.

All this has enabled an increase in capacity with currently 26 trains per hour (tph) on the Bank branch, 22tph via Charing Cross and 30tph down to Morden. The normal service pattern is for Charing Cross line trains to run only as far as Kennington then traverse the reversal loop to run back northwards. Bank line trains run through to Morden.

Northbound trains run to Edgware and High Barnet from both the Bank and Charing Cross routes with Mill Hill East being served by a shuttle from Finchley Central.

In peak hours, trains can serve all terminal points from any station and this means a very complex timetable that has the effect of reducing the maximum possible throughput.

As the London Underground engineer stated: “if you were building the Northern line again, you would not construct it the way it is”.

At the start of a journey, the driver enters their number on the cab set-up panel and picks up the train timetable number. If these conform to what is expected, the train can set off once the appropriate MA is displayed. Simultaneously, the train goes to green on the controller’s screen whence progress is monitored on the line display.

At terminal stations, or at intermediate locations where the train is due to terminate, the control centre display goes to orange until the driver re-inserts journey information in the far-end cab.

The CBTC system has been linked to the existing platform indication displays giving a more accurate count down to the time and destination of the next arrival. Similarly, the existing track-to-train radio system (Connect) remains in service but with its control consoles transferred to the new control centre.

Learning from past lessons Both London Underground and Thales were determined not to repeat the organisational and technical problems that occurred on the Jubilee line. A policy of ‘One Team Working’ was instigated with both parties occupying the same premises at Canary Wharf. By doing this, questions that previously took a week to get answered could now be resolved in minutes. Reliability Objective Groups were initiated and a six month period of shadow running was introduced that allowed the system to be soak tested whilst the trains remained driven to the old signalling.

Another important decision was to retain a loop-based system rather than moving to radio transmission in line with general CBTC advancement. This was partly driven by both Jubilee and Northern line contracts having been let at the same time and some equipment having been purchased for both. The need to avoid new untested technology was,

Rail Engineer • May 2015

however, the overriding reason as this was just too risky.

The number of commissioning stages was another factor, limiting these to manageable limits and starting with the simpler was a contrast to the Jubilee line introduction.

The Northern line CBTC project cost has been around ÂŁ330 million, which included the preparation and independent assessment of a safety case. Also included was the provision of the dedicated fibre network. A study is being carried out to see whether the London Underground Connect transmission network could be used in part as the bearer for future line upgrades, thus offering the prospect of some cost reduction.

Future Plans An extension of the Northern line from Kennington to Battersea, with an intermediate station at Nine Elms, is now authorised and work will commence shortly with a completion date in 2018. This will connect into the Kennington turn back loop with the planned service being to divert all Charing Cross line trains to Battersea, thus allowing 32tph on both central London branches. Further increases in capacity up to 36tph will only be possible by additional segregation of services at Camden Town, but it is recognised that this will be at the expense of some passenger inconvenience and no final decision has yet been taken.

Thales is also the nominated supplier for the muchtroubled upgrade plan to equip the Sub Surface Lines with CBTC systems. Although these too will use the Seltrac

design, this time it will be radio-based so a technology change becomes necessary. A preliminary contract is enabling some testing work to be done at the Old Dalby test track where the new S Stock is undergoing commissioning trials. Assuming success, radio technology should set the scene for eventual conversion of the remaining London Underground lines to CBTC operation.

Thanks to Andy Bourne from London Underground and Andrew Hunter and Andy Bell from Thales for explaining the design, engineering and operation of the Seltrac system.

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International business with a French flavour S

IFER is the French railway industry exhibition, held every two years. The 2015 event, the ninth in the series, was held at the Lille Grand Palais at the end of March. Although organised by the same company, Mack Brooks, to think of SIFER as Railtex with a French accent would be to do both events a disservice.

For a start, Mack Brooks makes sure that SIFER is seen as a French show. The organising team of Olivia Griscelli, Florence Gaidet, Fabienne Taylor and Véronique Cziborra are all French and the show has a French telephone number, even if it does divert to St Albans.

The venue is in the French railway industry heartland of Nord-Pas de Calais, not far from the Belgian border.

Charles de Gaulle was born in Lille and Pierre de Geyter, who composed the socialist anthem L’Internationale, grew up there. So the city’s French heritage is impeccable.

Up two escalators from the dark underground platform, out through the doors, turn right and right again, and one finds oneself strolling over the Pont de Flandres, an impressive bridge over the main station approach to the Flanders station. No British-style high walls here, there is just a metal fence separating pedestrians from a great view of TGVs and local trains, setting the scene nicely for a day at a railway engineering exhibition.

Over the road and into the venue through a small side door, then it’s up another escalator to the show itself.

Convenient

The same - but different

Lille is, of course, also a convenient stop on the Eurostar service between St Pancras and Paris/Brussels. The Grand Palais exhibition and concert hall is a ten-minute walk from Lille-Europe station and from the nearby Lille-Flanders station, which is on the French national rail network.

Travelling from St Pancras is simple. Eurostar’s Business Premier class is a painless way to travel. From the comfortable lounge while waiting for departure, through the cooked breakfast on the train, to the platform at Lille - everything is done smoothly and slickly to speed passengers on their way.

Here the French character initially seems to be lost. A railway industry show is a railway industry show. There are larger, custom-built exhibits mixed with blocks of smaller, shell-scheme stands, the same as are seen at Railtex. Some of these are occupied by the big, international names, but many are home to companies which aren’t seen in the UK, as many of the Railtex exhibitors aren’t working in France.

But the show is still subtly different. There are several large stands which are, in fact, pavilions from the various regions of France. Some have a dozen or more individual companies sharing the one stand - all from the same region and all specialising in their own aspect of the railway.

NIGEL WORDSWORTH

Rail Engineer • May 2015

There are some signs of internationalism, the show catalogue is in both French and English, but even the subtitle of the event - the ninth International Salon of the Railway Industry - is different. Would we call Railtex a Salon?

So are two other aspects. The toilets were almost unusable in the morning but, after many complaints, an army of cleaners descended on them and they were really quite pleasant by the afternoon.

The catering, on the other hand, was superb. Extensive hot and cold buffets with red and white wine on tap (and self-service) from small tanks on the side tables - what a change from burgers and sandwiches at a British show.

On display But of course the whole purpose of the show is for the French rail industry to show off its wares. 430 exhibitors were on hand to meet the 4,900 visitors who came to Lille - 17% of them from outside France. With the railway industry described as ‘sluggish’ at home, exhibitors were very keen to promote themselves to overseas customers.

Another noticeable change was the increase in infrastructure companies present. This is one of the few growth areas in the French market, up 14.7% between 2012 and 2013, and it showed in both the mix of exhibitors and visitors.

This increase in activity had attracted a number of foreign exhibitors as well, many of them well-known to Rail Engineer readers. UK companies such as levelcrossing manufacturer Rosehill Rail, Forbo Flooring Systems, cable-protection specialists Flexicon, and lighting specialists LPA were all there. So too were familiar international faces - Westermo, Moxa, Dual Inventive, LB Foster, ABB - and the less familiar including JR East from Japan which was looking to procure from Europe and was at SIFER on a buying mission.

The seminar theatre was quieter than the Rail Engineer equivalent at Railtex - an opening ceremony, an awards event and a panel session - but all attracted good audiences.

French Secretary of State for Transport, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Alain Vidalies, was on hand to open the show and see for himself the success of French industry.

“Innovation and export are two major challenges facing our national rail industry,” Mr Vidalies commented. “The support and guidance of our companies in this direction is a priority of Government action because these companies and these skills are important assets that must be valued and carried to the future.”

There was a lot to see, and it is difficult to name favourites. However, highlights of the show for Rail Engineer were a new safety helmet with integral radio and lights from Colas Rail, multi-coloured anti-vibration pads from Getzner, interesting track surveying techniques from Fugro and some LED signal light heads that are being used in Morocco by the French company NSE.

French finale After a long day at the show, there was a networking event for exhibitors and some guests. Not the beer and tiny sausages familiar to British event-goers but champagne and canapés - and in seemingly inexhaustible supply.

Then it was back to the Europe station and onto Eurostar for the journey home. It had been a most interesting day - on the one hand yet another railway show, on the other something distinctly French which showcased an industry that is more buoyant than its domestic market. With both exhibitors and visitors up in numbers, the French railway industry is certainly not in decline.

The tenth SIFER will be well worth a visit, but you’ll have to wait until 21-23 March 2017. Meantime - see you at Railtex!

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RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

Looking forward to Railtex W ith most of the preparations behind us, we are now keenly looking forward to welcoming our visitors when Railtex opens its doors on 12 May. This will be the twelfth of these events and given the unprecedented levels of investment currently going into rail in this country, it promises to be a great show.

I took over responsibility for Railtex at the beginning of this year. For me this was a happy return to familiar territory as I previously managed our Railtex and Infrarail shows from 2000 to 2004. Without doubt the biggest change since then has been a major expansion of what is on offer for visitors. Railtex now includes a very extensive supporting programme of activities taking place alongside the exhibition.

Seminars, speeches and forum discussions At this year’s show there will be no fewer than 30 seminar sessions, including three keynote speeches, plus three open forum discussions and a similar number of presentations on export opportunities for UK firms.

Speakers will cover topics ranging from updates on Network Rail projects to future developments in train control technology. These all take place in the exhibition hall and are open to everyone attending the show, free of charge.

Presenting this programme has two great benefits. First, it makes a visit to the show even more worthwhile by providing accessible opportunities to hear about industry innovations and trends from senior authoritative figures. Second, it

KIRSTEN WHITEHOUSE

supports the work of exhibitors by raising the profile of the show and boosting attendance - and by providing participating companies and leading industry bodies with a platform to communicate and inform.

We are confident that this year’s programme is the best ever, and we thank our many partners including Nigel Wordsworth at Rail Engineer for their help in devising it. Make sure you carefully check via the show website for topics of interest being covered to get the very best out of your visit.

Networking Railtex is also a great place to meet people, whether to renew acquaintances or to help build new business relationships. Our Networking Reception on the opening day of the show is intended to assist that and we hope that many Rail Engineer readers will join us there.

This year also sees our second Railtex Awards dinner on 13 May, celebrating exhibitors’ achievements during an evening of good food and entertainment led by former Catchphrase game show host Roy Walker. Judging by the success of the last of these events in 2013, this will be another great way of bringing people together.

The show

The heart of Railtex of course remains the exhibition, and we value the industry’s support for the show this year. The number of exhibitors now exceeds 450, making this the biggest of these events for more than a decade. We are delighted to see the return of so many familiar names. This backs up our own findings that Railtex is a highly-effective way for companies to communicate with existing and future customers and to present their products and capabilities.

We are also pleased to welcome more than 140 firms exhibiting with us for the first time, in many cases bringing new thinking and innovative products to the market.

Remember to register online via www.railtex.co.uk for your free visit to the show. As well as saving you paying the £20 entry fee on the door for Railtex, this means your issued e-badge will give you instant access to the exhibition hall. The website also includes the latest list of exhibitors plus full details of that extensive supporting programme.

This year’s Railtex has a lot to offer. On behalf of the whole team, I hope everyone taking part and attending the show has a very successful and enjoyable visit and I look forward to meeting many of you there.

Kirsten Whitehouse is exhibition manager for Railtex and Infrarail at Mack Brooks Exhibitions Group

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RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

Networking and Awards at Railtex How to exhibit and STILL enjoy yourself Railtex Awards dinner, sponsored by Rail Media Awards categories and sponsors •Newcomer to Railtex (Rail Alliance) •Innovation in Technology (The TEW Group) •Innovation in Safety (Eurosafe) •Best New Rolling Stock Product •Rolling Stock Maintenance Equipment (PSV Wypers) •Best new Track or Infrastructure Product •Judges Choice (Railway Industry Association) •Best Space only stand •Best Shell scheme stand

T

he Railtex Awards dinner is one of two opportunities to network and, frankly, have a good time that are available to exhibitors and guests at this year’s show.

The first is the Networking Reception at the end of the opening day, during which exhibitors can meet old acquaintances and new colleagues as well as those visitors who have stayed on. Everyone will have a relaxing time, there is usually a jazz trio or similar, and it’s a great way to network.

The following night is a more formal occasion – the Railtex Awards dinner, sponsored this year by Rail Media. Over the road from the show itself in the Hilton Metropole Hotel, exhibitors, visitors and their guests will gather for an evening of entertainment, dinner and – you guessed it – more networking. That will start at the drinks reception, hosted this year by Quattro, and carry on throughout the night.

There will be music as well. Singer-songwriter Harriet McDonnell will play during the drinks

reception. During the meal, there will be live background piano music from Mark Bettis featuring swing from the 1920s right through to current day.

Oh – and look out for the Jelly Baby Express!

Over coffee, Rod Woodward, one of the fastest-rising comics in Britain, will be drawing the laughs and getting the audience into a cheerful mood ready for the climax of the evening.

There will also be a sense of anticipation as the time for the awards presentations draws close.

A host of companies have entered nine categories – one has over 80 entries alone – so competition will be fierce. The nine winners will be congratulated by Roy Walker, former host of the TV show Catchphrase.

After the formal session is over, the winners will want to celebrate, the losers will need to cheer themselves up, so it will be time for more music as the Smooth Criminals play until midnight.

So come along for a great evening, it’s only £90 a place so easily affordable, and celebrate what’s best about Railtex and our industry. Then on Thursday, look out for the awards

being proudly displayed on nine stands around the show. Full marks if you spot them all!

To attend the Railtex Awards dinner you don’t have to be an exhibitor – all are welcome! Tickets are £90 +vat and available online from www.railtex.co.uk

RAILTEX

RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer •• MAY May 2015

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Go on - learn something!

Once again, Rail Engineer will be presenting a series of keynote speeches and technical seminars at Railtex. This marks the latest stage in an involvement which goes back to Infrarail 2008 when the magazine arranged six presentations which were included in a larger programme of events. The following year, at Railtex 2009, it organised the whole programme of technical seminars and has done ever since.

This year’s programme includes three keynote speakers and twenty-one presentations by exhibitors at the show.

Richard Parry-Jones has been chairman of Network Rail since July 2012. This is his second appearance at the UK’s premier industry exhibition and, as well as participating in the opening ceremony, Richard will be speaking on innovation - a subject about which he is passionate. In his article in Rail Engineer issue 120 (October 2014), he commented: “Innovations, of course, offer plenty of opportunities but also offer risks, and so one of the challenges with innovation is how you manage the risks.”

With the railways being highly risk-averse in nature, it’s not surprising that some innovations seem to take their time getting into service. However, Richard believes that innovations are essential to the future of the railway and, in his keynote speech, he will discuss how to bring new techniques and technology to the railway.

The second keynote speaker, on Wednesday, will be Terence Watson, country chairman for Alstom in the UK. He is also co-chairman of the Rail Supply Group and this will form the subject of his speech as the new organisation pushes to strengthen the capability and competitiveness of the rail supply industry.

Collaboration is one of the hot topics of the last few years.

Opening Ceremony 10:30 Tuesday 12/05/2015

Network Rail chairman Richard Parry-Jones joins Railway Industry Association director general Jeremy Candfield and Railtex organiser Mack Brooks’ chairman Stephen Brooks to open the show.

The 2015 event, the 12th international exhibition of railway equipment systems and services to bear the Railtex name, brings together over 450 exhibitors from the UK and abroad.

Almost one third will be exhibiting at the UK’s premier show for the first time and they will be given a warm welcome along with familiar names from earlier years and the thousands of visitors who will come to see the show at its new home in Birmingham.

Speaking before the show, Richard Parry-Jones said: “Every year for more than a decade now, Railtex has provided a

One form of this was the ‘deep alliance’ that Network Rail formed with South West Trains in 2012 to deliver better rail services in the south and south-west of England. The managing director of that alliance is Tim Shoveller, and he will be speaking on the third day of the show on the benefits of that arrangement.

The rest of the seminar programme, hosted by Rail Engineer, will be a mix of large and small exhibitors all explaining their latest technology and innovations to show visitors. The larger companies, Bombardier, Siemens, Hitachi, will no-doubt draw a big audience.

But no less intriguing will be companies such as Camlin talking about pantograph inspection systems on Italian high-speed lines (Tuesday 14:00), Pilz expounding the use of programmable logic computers (PLCs) to control level crossings (Wednesday 12:50) and Tata Steel explaining how the life of steel rails can be extended using metallurgy rather than engineering Thursday 11:40).

And that’s not all. A full preview of the programme can be read below, but it covers everything from braking systems to labelling systems, signalling to weighing, and transmissions to station platforms.

So save your feet, settle down in the seminar theatre (stand D61) and enjoy the show.

RICHARD PARRY-JONES

CHAIRMAN NETWORK RAIL

wonderful opportunity to see the very latest and best of the railway industry globally. The whole event showcases the strengths of the UK rail sector and highlights the opportunities to grow as we make record improvements in improving quality and capacity. I know this will be the same once again in Birmingham this year.”

RAISING THE BAR IN RAIL TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Whenever quality and dependability are essential requirements, rail professionals in the UK and around the world choose WAGO. For on-board and trackside applications, our cutting-edge electrical termination technology delivers speedier installation and ensures best-in-class operating performance. For more information, contact us today.

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RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

Repower, with ZF 11:05 Tuesday 12/05/2015

The Repower project was undertaken in partnership with South West Trains and Porterbrook Leasing. It saw fuel savings average 17% when conventional hydrodynamic units on a two-car Class 158 DMU in passenger service were replaced with two ZF Ecomat Rail automatic reversing transmissions.

The 50,000-mile trial also recorded significantly less oil waste, the release of cooling system capacity and an improved customer experience in ride comfort. Integrating the ZF solution into existing DMUs achieves a significant reduction in life-cycle costs and the cost of fitting can be recovered over a relatively short period of operation.

Speaking in advance, Steve Brew said: “We have driven these units the equivalent distance of twice around the globe

Efficiency through innovation Bringing new techniques and technology to the railway 11:40 Tuesday 12/05/2015

KEYNOTE

Over the current control period, from 1 April 2014 until 31 March 2019, Network Rail has a budget of almost £39 billion to maintain and improve the railway network. That’s an enormous sum of money in any terms.

But at the same time, the company is being asked to reduce the cost of running the railway by 20%, and that’s on top of a 15% reduction achieved over the previous five years.

To deliver so much more for less, new techniques and technologies will need to be introduced to drive that increase in efficiency. However, bringing new ways of doing things to an industry which is traditionally risk-averse is not without its challenges.

Richard Parry-Jones, Network Rail’s chairman, is a passionate supporter of innovation. In his talk, he will

Train of the Future Improving reliability through train zero 12:15 Tuesday 12/05/2015

The world is a constantly changing environment, with an ever-increasing population moving to urban areas causing a greater demand for inner city travel. The solution to meeting this increase demands a reduction in whole life cost, emissions and energy usage whilst using existing infrastructure.

So what does this mean for rail transportation? What are the challenges and issues arising from these global trends?

In his presentation, Niall Simmons will look at global trends and how they affect the design of urban rail systems.

Specifically, he will examine how these trends affect operators and passengers alike.

How does the industry ensure that it continues to provide products and services which satisfy these trends? How

RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

STEVE BREW

PROJECT MANAGER SALES & TECHNICAL ACQUISITIONS ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG

and it has totally proven the ZF Repowering concept and technology.”

The ZF automatic reversing transmissions feature a highly efficient torque converter that provides very high comfort when starting and enables optimum acceleration thanks to gear changes without tractive force interruption.

Fine-stepped gears keep the engine in an economical speed range, especially when driving at low speeds. The installed Rail Drive Control System makes integrating the complete driveline into the train easy and is, therefore, the ideal interface to the Train Control Unit.

RICHARD PARRY-JONES

CHAIRMAN NETWORK RAIL

examine the challenges that the company faces and make comparisons with those of his earlier career in the automotive industry. He will look at some specific examples of the successful implementation of new ideas and look forward to what the industry is likely to see over the remaining four years of this period and beyond.

NIALL SIMMONS

HEAD OF BIDS ENGINEERING BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION UK

will automation play a part in the railway system? What is the current thinking on automation and how can this be incorporated into the rail industry to optimise journey times, maintenance activity and improve passenger experience?

Niall’s position at one of the world’s leading train and locomotive manufacturers qualifies him to answer all of those questions, and more.

RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer •• MAY May 2015

ZF SERVICES UK – OFFERING INNOVATION AT RAILTEX At ZF Services UK, we understand the importance of improving fuel and energy efficiency. The Repower scheme uses our ZF expertise to provide your rail vehicle with a high level of customer comfort, increased fuel savings averaging 17% and improved life cycle costs. To find out more visit us on stand L41 at Railtex where you can see the Get 2 and Ecolife transmissions for yourself. Book your appointment with the ZF team via email at rail.zfmauk@zf.com www.zf.com/uk/rail

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RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

Real-time track monitoring using instrumented passenger trains 12:50 Tuesday 12/05/2015

Transitioning to condition-monitored maintenance will provide benefits in the reduction of material, labour, energy and delays for the routes. Network Rail Kent and Southeastern (London & South Eastern Railway Limited) are collaborating to remove unnecessary inspections and speed restrictions on the southeast network by using the LSER fleets, which have already been fitted with Perpetuum’s vibration sensors, to monitor the Kent network in real time, 24/7.

Using vibration information from the self-powered bogie mounted sensors from Perpetuum can offer operators and maintainers ‘live’ warnings of changes in the track condition for the first time. The system is radically different to others in that it requires no special vehicle or reduced operational speed. It delivers robust analysed information to both the train operator

JUSTIN SOUTHCOMBE

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR PERPETUUM

and the infrastructure manager through a single sensor node and provides up to three months early warning through the measurement of vibration at the bearing case.

Having such a ‘live’ impartial indicator of track and wheel condition could provide the industry with a new tool to manage this most sensitive of interfaces through robust real-time measurement. In this presentation, Justin Southcombe will explain how this project has already demonstrated that passenger trains can be easily equipped to provide asset information for the first time that will help to improve safety for track staff, reduce disruption to passengers, improve the customer experience and comfort while reducing maintenance demands on route access.

Next generation condition-based maintenance 13:25 Tuesday 12/05/2015

Currently, in the rail industry, the majority of maintenance is driven by traditional planned intervals and reactive work when failure of components or systems is near or actually happens.

Failures outside of planned maintenance can have a negative impact on rail users and an expensive effect on operational costs. In high-tech industries such as aviation, the monitoring of systems to allow pre-emptive maintenance and improved operational management has become established and proven in operation.

Now this approach can be enjoyed in the rail industry with Knorr-Bremse iCOM Conditioned Based Monitoring (CBM), which has been especially developed for rail vehicles. This technology optimises vehicle availability and supports the avoidance of unexpected cancellations by identifying failure

Automated pantograph inspection systems As used in Italy on high-speed lines 14:00 Tuesday 12/05/2015

This seminar introduces the approach adopted in Italy for the automated inspection of pantographs on high speed lines. With the exception of the wheels, a train's pantograph is the only other sub-component in constant contact with the infrastructure and is therefore subject to wear and fatigue. It is well understood a damaged pantograph can potentially tear down the catenary leading to long delays for the operator.

Camlin’s introduction of ‘PantoBot’ on Italy’s high speed lines is the only technology officially validated and approved by the Italian National Railway Company (RFI). Its most recent developments in terms of image acquisition and high-resolution 3D reconstruction of the pantograph are thoroughly analysed during the seminar.

DIRK SECKLER

HEAD OF SALES KNORR-BREMSE RAIL SERVICES

before it happens, facilitating pre-emptive action.

Learn more about how iCOM can deliver a clear competitive advantage and drive out unnecessary costs and operational problems.

LUCA ASCARI

MANAGING DIRECTOR CAMLIN GROUP

As Network Rail moves towards a digital railway, strategic assets need to become more intelligent, more resilient and more aware, but this can only be achieved with innovative products and systems that ‘think’ for themselves. ‘PanoBot’ is just such an innovation.

RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer •• MAY May 2015

89

Creative Systems . . . Proven Ability Railtex 2015 sees Knorr-Bremse Rail UK showcasing not only some exciting new rail vehicle systems technology but also the extensive overhaul, maintenance and upgrade portfolio of its specialist RailServices business.

With four major facilities located around the UK and over one thousand employees, Knorr-Bremse has the creative systems and proven ability to equip trains and keep them running safely, reliably and economically.

Visit stand G31 at Railtex 2015 to see just what Knorr-Bremse Rail UK can offer you today. | www.knorr-bremse.co.uk |

Networks that think

Visit us at Railtex 2015 12th - 14th May Birmingham Stand H51 camlinrail.com

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RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

Improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs Using reliability-centred maintenance 14:35 Tuesday 12/05/2015

The question “Is it possible to improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs using Reliability Centred Maintenance?” is addressed in this presentation under a series of further questions.

Where does Reliability come from? The basic answer to this is that reliability is inherent in the equipment design and build quality, but there are other influences.

What drives maintenance costs? The appropriate balance between preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance is discussed.

What is RCM? Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) is a process to ensure that systems continue to do what their users require in their present operating context.

What is a Performance Improvement Programme (PIP)? A performance improvement programme is a focussed analysis of

the worst-performing systems on the train, providing ‘quick wins’ at relatively cheap cost.

When is it appropriate to carry out a full RCM or Strategic Maintenance Review (SMR)? A full RCM or SMR should be conducted when it is considered that the existing preventive maintenance is inappropriate and possibly carried out at inappropriate intervals.

When is it appropriate to carry out a performance improvement programme? A PIP should be conducted when the existing preventive maintenance is considered to be generally adequate but there is poor reliability.

Is it really possible to improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs using reliability centred maintenance? The simple answer is yes, the answer for this is in the presentation.

Time-saving solutions for the rail industry

NICK MICHAELSON

Labelling systems are not all the same 15:15 Tuesday 12/05/2015

With even more pressure on installation time and subsequent maintenance costs, choosing the right system and labels is becoming increasingly important. The wrong choice now can add significant time and costs later.

Nick Michaelson, CEO of Silver Fox Limited, will be explaining some of the common differences between labels, and showing engineers what to look out for when choosing labels and labelling systems. Not so long ago, Nick was introduced to an engineer whose organisation had a lot of problems with their LS0H tie-on cable labels. Put simply, the labels kept cracking and falling off.

When considering cable labels, many engineers believe: “They look the same, therefore they are the same!” However, whilst two yellow labels may look the same, this doesn’t

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SILVER FOX

mean they are.

Nick will present a comparison video showing two ‘LS0H’ cable labels exposed to flame. The results will surprise all who watch. This really emphasises that two yellow labels can look identical but they certainly are not!

Silver Fox has been developing its solutions for over 30 years, designed specifically to turn “Time into Profit”.

From software functionality through to printing, significant time-savings are available, plus the entire thermal range is produced using the same software, same printer and same ribbon.

Young Rail Professionals Developing and inspiring the next generation of railway talent 15:50 Tuesday 12/05/2015

Young Rail Professionals (YRP) is an association with over 1,900 members from around the UK working in all aspects of the rail industry. YRP brings together young people from across the UK railway industry to help develop and inspire the next generation of railway talent.

The two main commitments of YRP are providing networking and development events such as talks, site visits, seminars and socials that enhance and inspire its members, and opportunities for members to visit schools, colleges and universities to attract those still in education to this dynamic industry.

Working in partnership with a number of other rail organisations, YRP focuses on promoting the railway industry as a great place to grow and develop a career, on

ART COUPER

SENIOR RCM PRACTITIONER BMT RELIABILITY CONSULTANTS

MICHAEL CHATTERIS

WEST MIDLANDS CHAIRMAN YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

inspiring young people in rail to drive forwards through innovation and collaboration and on bringing people together through excellent networking events. It consists of regional committees around the country that deliver the YRP objectives locally, with an executive committee to co-ordinate activities on a national level.

Unity Works, Petre Street Sheffield S4 8LJ Tel: +44 (0)114 251 8642 Fax: +44 (0)114 251 8644 www.toolandsteel.co.uk

Tool&Steel

Approved On-Track Plant

Tool & Steel’s Rail department has evolved significantly over the last decade and now finds itself at the forefront of railway tools and equipment production.

We are experienced solutions providers in the rail industry with dedicated CAD designers and a well equipped manufacturing facility.

Our on-track plant includes Rail Handlers, Link and Split Trollies. All of our equipment is: • Approved for use on Network Rail track • Approved for use on London Underground • Fabricated, assembled and tested in-house We can also provide all spares and carry out any repairs, refurbishment or re-testing that may be required.

We also manufacture a wide range of hand tools and track tools in house, including: •Rail Lifters •Cooper Rollers •Rail Clamps

Track Tools & BS8020 Insulated Tools

• Rail Tongs • Sleeper Tongs • Fishplate Spanners

We have a purpose-built facility dedicated to manufacturing insulated tools. Our insulated tools are: •Assembled by hand by experienced personnel •Mechanically tested as per the BS8020:2011 standard •Electrically tested to 10,000V and guaranteed to 1000V

Genuine Pandrol Tools Tool & Steel have a long standing relationship with Pandrol, the market leader in track fixings.

Tool & Steel are Pandrol’s only genuine hand tool provider and have supplied quality Pandrol tools to over 70 countries around the world.

Our tools are manufactured to Pandrol’s most up-to-date drawings and process requirements.

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RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

Fast track for growth - Strengthening the capability and competitiveness of the UK rail supply group 10:30 Wednesday 13/05/2015

KEYNOTE

The Rail Supply Group (RSG) is a partnership between industry and government to strengthen the UK’s rail supply chain. By giving leadership, direction and support, it aims to strengthen the capability and competitiveness of the UK rail supply chain so that the industry can grow employment, increase market share and make a significant contribution to the entire UK economy.

In January, the Group published its Vision for strengthening the competitiveness of the supply industry in five key areas: exports, people, technology and innovation, high speed rail, and SMEs. This Vision included a number of objectives to be achieved by 2025 which will confirm the UK’s place as a global leader in rail.

Terence Watson, the RSG’s co-chair, will set out the Vision,

CO-CHAIRMAN RAIL SUPPLY GROUP

its timescales and the RSG’s work streams, leading up to the publication of a Rail Industrial Strategy by the end of the year.

The Strategy will explain in greater detail how the industry and government will work together over the next decade to achieve the Vision’s objectives.

Voith - Delivering integrated driveline solutions Experiences and potential for UK refurbishment projects 11:05 Wednesday 13/05/2015

With the UK railway industry acknowledging that diesel multiple units will be in existence for the foreseeable future, attention is now focusing on ways to improve and futureproof the drivelines of existing fleets.

This presentation will outline the unique position that Voith occupies in the market, being the only OEM in the world that is able to design, manufacture, supply and integrate complete drivelines and individual driveline components from a single supply source. From the engine and cooler group, cardan shafts and highly flexible couplings through to the final drive and wheels, Voith can provide the complete driveline with fully integrated and optimised ‘ready to fit’ solutions.

The presentation will also describe how the technical and cost benefits of Voith driveline products and services align

11:40 Wednesday 13/05/2015

The rail industry, like many other service industries, faces a management dilemma: Provision of an informed customer service team, able to move around among their customers to wherever they are needed, is compromised by dependence on the technology which keeps them informed and in control of their environment - technology which would once have tied them to a desk in an office.

The transition from the analogue to the digital, the fixed to the mobile, along with the emergence of Wi-Fi in the most traditional of industries, means this dilemma is no longer necessary. A new generation of management systems is giving station staff the freedom to move around, with station management and control at their fingertips.

Of course, other dilemmas now present themselves: how to

THOMAS KRIEGEL

HEAD OF RAMS/LCC VOITH TURBO GMBH & CO. KG

completely with the business drivers for new build and refurbishment projects.

There will be a particular focus on the introduction of successful Voith DIWARail hydro-mechanical transmissions into the UK railway and its potential for the UK ‘legacy’ fleets.

This is the only, ‘off the shelf’ hydro-mechanical transmission available on the market with a proven, fully-integrated reversing mechanism and coasting function which offers users the potential of improved performance, reliability and fuel consumption.

Reflecting on this project will also offer the audience an interesting insight into the advantages of a collaborative approach between the customers and a fully equipped OEM delivering a turnkey project.

Improving customer service at lightly-staffed stations Through the use of advanced technology

TERENCE WATSON

PAUL DOBBINS

CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER TELENT TECHNOLOGY

integrate the new with the old, how to assure cyber security and how to maintain the flexibility to add new functionality in the future.

Paul Dobbins, chief technical officer of Telent, describes how systems developers and integrators can make a vast difference to customer service, safety and security while enhancing the experience of the rail traveller.

Paul has been involved in systems development and integration for 17 years and has witnessed first-hand the dramatic changes in the rail industry which are continuing to result from technological development.

RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer •• MAY May 2015

93

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RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

A whole-system approach to railway engineering 12:15 Wednesday 13/05/2015

Hitachi Rail Europe delivers end-to-end solutions in rail with an offer which includes the AT100, AT200 and AT300 from its product range of new trains. In addition, the company has expertise and capability in the Traffic Management Systems arena, ETCS signalling and on-board communications services.

Proud manufacturers of rolling stock worldwide using cuttingedge technology, Hitachi’s product range covers metro, regional and intercity trains as well as bespoke maintenance packages.

Good examples of its total solution offering are the Class 395 Javelin™ trains for Southeastern and the Class 800/801 trains which will soon be running on the Great Western and East Coast main lines under the InterCity Express Programme.

Hitachi has won new orders such as the contract to provide new rolling stock for the Abellio ScotRail franchise and becoming

The adoption of industrial PLCs In railway signalling and rolling stock applications 12:50 Wednesday 13/05/2015

David Collier has previously presented at Railtex on the growing use of COTS programmable logic controllers in European signalling and rolling stock applications, particularly in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.

Since then Pilz UK has started to gain some traction with its PSS 4000-R safety PLC in the UK rail market. Working with the Network Rail’s Signalling Innovations Group, Pilz has explored the technical challenge of substituting BR 930-style signalling relays with safety PLCs - already widely used in process, manufacturing and other infrastructure applications for years - at MCB-OD level crossings.

This information was used to help make a solid business case for taking such technology to a trial site at some time in the not too distant future. The results should improve

Wheel profile condition monitoring Modern methods of non-contact measurement 13:25 Wednesday 13/05/2015

Mechan is a Sheffield-based company specialising in lifting and handling equipment for rail depots and workshops including products such as lifting jacks, bogie changing & component removal systems, traversers & turntables, sand box filling systems and shunters.

It also represents numerous companies to provide further innovative products into the UK market. Adam will be introducing two colleagues to talk about these aspects of Mechan’s work.

Jeser Zalba is from Visiona Control Industrial, an innovative, technology-based company dedicated to the design and development of machine vision applications. During the last 4 years, Visiona has focused on the railway sector, launching the WheelPro system in order to measure wheel profiles automatically as the train passes through the system. Many

RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

KEITH JORDAN

MANAGING DIRECTOR HITACHI RAIL EUROPE

the preferred bidder to supply AT300 trains to First Great Western for their Devon and Cornwall routes.

With Hitachi Rail Europe’s global headquarters now in London, the company is investing significantly in the UK and the UK supply chain, delivering high quality on-time and on-budget solutions to its customer base. Significant developments for Hitachi Rail Europe are the £82 million brand new state-of-theart Rail Vehicle Manufacturing Facility in Newton Aycliffe, the £80 million Train Maintenance Centre at Stoke Gifford and the £70 million Doncaster Train Maintenance Centre.

In what promises to be an enthralling presentation, managing director Keith Jordan will be reviewing the various elements of Hitachi Rail Europe’s offering and explaining how these all combine into a truly joined-up approach to railway engineering.

DAVE COLLIER

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER PILZ AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY

Network Rail and the supply chain’s ability to manage costs, space, maintenance, testing and other lifecycle activities.

This technology is now starting to find its way into automated rolling stock applications in the UK. David will chart the progress made so far, and outline the future opportunities for innovation and collaboration within the supply chain for this technology.

ADAM ELLIOTT

SALES ENGINEER MECHAN

new functionalities have recently been introduced to the product, such as diameter measurement, bidirectional measurement, adaptation to outdoor locations and high speeds of travelling (up to 120 Km/h).

NextSense’s Manuel Haushofer is proud to present the non-contact profile measurement device Calipri, which fulfils the needs of the railway and tram industry for a reproducible and multifunctional measurement method for wheel sets and infrastructure. The contact-free operation of Calipri delivers values that are significantly more reliable and reproducible than conventional measurement methods using contact. The innovative measurement method facilitates the recording of a wide range of profile shapes with one gauge in order to reduce purchase costs.

RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer •• MAY May 2015

95

Ready for High Speed Visit Hitachi Rail Europe on stand J11 at Railtex 2015 to experience the British bullet train

EN 50121 EN 50126

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Follow @HitachiRailEU for updates

PSS 4000-R Safety PLC

EN 50155 EN 50159

• Reduces system risk, design time, installation time, on site testing and maintenance • Compact design enables easy installation in trackside location cases • Low power requirements, immunity to EMC and vibration, high self-diagnostic capabilities • Simplify your verification and validation process due to PSS 4000-R CENLEC rail certification with system capability up to SIL 4

Safety PLCs Certified for Railways Trackside & Rolling Stock Applications

Pilz has been working with Network Rail on the adoption of PLC technology into UK signalling applications, such as MCB-OD level crossings. Pilz also supplies complete plug-and-play automation systems to the UK rolling stock industry.

For more information contact David Collier - d.collier@pilz.co.uk 07969 688783

www.pilz.co.uk

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RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

Proactive intelligence

ROBERT NEGRE

Using unique autonomous TRACe health management 14:00 Wednesday 13/05/2015

Today’s railway systems require broad computing support for varied needs, from rolling stock and fleet management to video surveillance, passenger Internet and ticketing or conductor/driver information.

To maximize system availability and reliability, health management capabilities are an important new resource allowing operators to verify vital system status. Large rolling stock fleets spread over thousands of kilometres of railway can use real-time data access to make improved actionable decisions.

In this seminar, Robert Negre from Kontron will outine the benefits from implementing the unique, intelligent and autonomous health management capabilities of Kontron TRACe computing platforms. He will explain how to go

HEAD OF BL TRANSPORTATION KONTRON

from simply-reactive to positively-proactive in managing application functionality and uptime.

Delegates will also learn how they can dramatically reduce costs and significantly increase efficiencies using remote monitoring, fleet availability, serviceability and anticipated maintenance information gathered using TRACe’s advanced integrated technologies.

Robert will also cover streamlining management of contractual and program obligations for long term support and maintenance through the ability to build comprehensive databases on the operational life of the fleet.

Are composite station platforms the future?

14:35 Wednesday 13/05/2015

Stuart Burns (director) and Tom Bowman (commercial director) represent Dura Composites and will be reviewing existing platform construction in traditional methods, the challenges of using materials that have not changed for centuries, logistics and installation timescales and ongoing maintenance all of which ultimately affect the client, Network Rail and the end user - the travelling public.

As a leading composites design and manufacturing company, Dura redefines the composites platform solution taking into account critical issues such as re-gauging and stepping distances to and from trains. At the same time, the company mainlines on delivering products to market that allow rapid installation without plant, reduced possessions or installations under just line blockages without closing platforms in operations hours.

TOM BOWMAN & STUART BURNS DIRECTORS DURA COMPOSITES

Network Rail and train operators require solutions that bring station platforms construction into this century whilst minimising impact on rail passengers. Can composite platforms provide a solution whereby existing standards are not compromised whilst allowing contractors to deliver cost savings and significant time savings within CP5 and beyond?

Weighing up the cost of imbalance and overloading 15:15 Wednesday 13/05/2015

Train weighing has moved on immensely in the last twenty years. There is no longer the need to disturb the track with large civil works and subject lines to weeks of downtime; there are now ‘in-line’ systems with sensors that form part of the rails or sleepers. These systems are installed within days and weigh while the train is in motion, in some instances up to 250km/h.

Railweight responds to the needs of the rail industry by providing high accuracy solutions supporting initiatives to improve safety in every aspect, whilst also considering economic factors. Weighing trains can be an effective, economic way to improve efficiency and safety at the same time. Maximising loads, increasing network utilisation, safeguarding infrastructure and assets can all be achieved

CHARLES SECCOMBE

TECHNICAL SALES MANAGER RAILWEIGHT

by integrating a train weighing system that seamlessly forms part of day-to-day freight handling operations. Weight accuracy can help to maximise loads and reduce the number of trains running on the network as well as indicating if a train is unbalanced or has asymmetric loading. This can cause excessive wear on wheels and bogies and, in extreme cases, derailments. Data reporting between the rail network operator and the freight hauliers also provides reassurance that only correctly balanced loads and vehicles have utilised the main line network.

Charles Seccombe will provide an insight into how Railweight is providing train weighing solutions to rail network operators globally and how they are benefitting from the industry leading technology the business offers.

RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer •• MAY May 2015

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You see:

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

 We see:

EXCITING NEW POSSIBILITIES IN DATA-DRIVEN TRANSPORTATION

Kontron’s feature-rich IoT solutions are driving the data revolution in the transportation industry, improving safety and efficiency while enhancing the passenger experience. Visit us at Railtex to explore our hands-on demonstrations and attend our seminar on TRACeTM autonomous health management on Wednesday, May 13th in the Seminar Theatre. We look forward to seeing you!

Visit us at Railtex, Booth U45 and enter to win a TRACeTM B304-TR

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RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

EN 45545 New European Flammability Standard 15:50 Wednesday 13/05/2015

The standard EN 45545-2 ‘Railway applications - Fire protection on railway vehicles’ means that, for the first time, a mandatory European requirement for the fire behavior of components and materials used in rail vehicles is now in place. The standard also takes into account installation situations.

The new standard specifies test methods and limits values and establishes requirement sets (R1 to R26) for components. Hazard levels HL1 to HL3 indicate the testing severity.

Depending on the installation situation, the same requirements may be in effect for heavy connectors as for the switch cabinet on which they are mounted.

For installations between two fire compartments, a

The benefits of a deep alliance A look at collaboration in the South West 10:30 Thursday 14/05/2015

KEYNOTE

Tim Shoveller will present a lively review of the challenges and benefits of running the South Western Alliance for three years. Whilst many people have heard about the ‘deep alliance’, this provides an opportunity to understand the details of the unique agreement between Stagecoach and Network Rail.

The Alliance of the South West Trains network and the Network Rail Wessex route employs more than 6500 people, carrying over 225 million passengers who pay over one billion pounds in fares - this is a big, part of the UK rail network.

Tim will outline the Alliance’s ‘whole railway approach’ to creating and operating the Alliance, focussing on the organisational and financial structure and some of the surprises and industry learning he has encountered while

Innovative rail infrastucture monitoring and survey solutions 11:05 Thursday 14/05/2015

Korec specialises in the provision of construction, machine control and survey solutions for the rail industry. The company provides a wide range of total stations, GPS, grade lasers, machine control systems, track measuring devices and levelling and alignment instruments, as well as asset management systems which are suitable for use across a wide range of rail infrastructure projects.

In this presentation, Matthew Lock will discuss the use of innovative video monitoring systems to better understand the behaviour of rail track and structures under dynamic loading. He will explain how this ground-breaking technology has been used to good effect on a number of rail projects, including the 80mph handback at Wigan Springs on the West Coast main line in July 2013.

RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

MIKE BROOKES

TRANSPORTATION MARKET MANAGER HARTING

resistance against fire for 10 minutes (E 10) is required for technical spaces up to 2m³ in volume, and for 15 minutes (E 15) for technical spaces over 2m³.

If the requirements are fulfilled, the components in the interior are exempt from the obligation to demonstrate certification.

For the materials in connectors, R22/R23 is the maximum applicable requirement sets. The sets prescribe the parameters, procedures and limits for tests. Specifically, R22/R23 mandate tests and limit values for oxygen content, smoke density and toxicity.

TIM SHOVELLER

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY

taking a different perspective of the railway business.

He will also look at the challenges that exist in running a highly complex organisation in an Alliance while the main part of Tim’s presentation will focus on the benefits that have become possible as a result of the approach, most significantly in safety and capacity.

The presentation will also detail the learning that can be used in any railway, irrespective of structure.

Finally, with a firm view on the future, Tim will explain the plans to radically improve capacity into what is already the Country’s busiest station.

MATTHEW LOCK

RAIL SALES CONSULTANT KOREC GROUP

During his presentation, Matthew will also highlight the complementary part this technology plays in the full process of 3D survey, design and installation.

RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

99

RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer •• MAY May 2015

Future proofing railway technology with robust jumper cables and customisable connectors

Band width expansion for reliable, efficient inter-car technology Full 10GigE transmission tested to IEEE 802.3 utilising CAT 7 cable and Han-Modular® connector with ground disconnect Compliant with fire regulation EN 45545 – 1, 2 & 5 and EN 50155:2007 to ensure reliable application on rolling stock Leading IP68 and IP69K sealing capability Ability to mix signal, data and power in one customisable connector plus the flexibility to incorporate up to 6 x10GigE in one connector For more information, phone +44 (0) 1604 827500 or email gb@HARTING.com www.HARTING.co.uk/rail

2015-02_Anzeige190x130_railway-jumpercables.indd 1

31/03/2015 16:39:53

Innovation to deliver safety, accuracy and efficiency Achieving high quality track installation and rail bed maintenance requires high accuracy and rapid verification of track geometry.

The Trimble GEDO Vorsys is a premeasurement system for tamper machines which provides that high level of accuracy required by the railway industry with operational speed and flexibility.

Imetrum Video Gauge is a non-contact precision measurement video monitoring system ideal for when you need to accurately measure dynamic deflection at a distance with real-time feedback, and under train loading, all with sub mm accuracy.

www.korecgroup.com info@korecgroup.com tel UK: 0845 603 1214 Ire: 01 456 4702

2015 Rail Eng - January.indd 1

22/12/2014 17:08:28

100

RAILTEX TECHNICAL SEMINARS

RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

Ribbons of steel

DANIEL PYKE

presenting rails with extra life 11:40 Thursday 14/05/2015

Tata Steel has responded to the needs of railway infrastructure owners to reduce the life cycle costs of their infrastructure by developing a range of rail products to address the challenges of different track environments and reduce the associated costs.

Today’s intensely-used railways are under extreme pressure to perform. Mixed-traffic railways have the difficult task of optimising track performance for a combination of higher traffic volumes, heavier axle loads and faster train speeds. This mix necessitates innovative solutions to deliver performance in increasingly constrained maintenance windows.

Product marketing manager Daniel Pyke will take you on a whistle-stop tour of the more common railway management

PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER - RAIL TATA STEEL

issues and provide a few examples to illustrate how appropriate rail grade selection can help minimise these issues, enabling rail engineers to extract more life from their assets and reduce their life cycle costs.

Showing real-life examples of reducing rolling contact fatigue and minimising wear and corrugation, the presentation will challenge rail engineers to think about lifetime performance when selecting rails for their next projects.

The future of train control:

WILLIAM WILSON

The convergence of signalling systems 12:15 Thursday 14/05/2015

This presentation will address the rapid convergence of previously very different solutions for mainline and mass transit signalling and train control solutions. Emerging signalling technologies for the full range of railway types are increasingly required to deliver similar functionality and operational requirements.

An unmanned Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) system architecture is very similar to a European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Level 2 or Level 3 system, often sharing platforms and sometimes operating systems.

Recent developments such as the Satloc programme differentiate the next generation of mainline applications for lightly used lines, using GPS tracking and GSM communication instead of traditional types of train detection.

DIRECTOR - SALES AND COMMERCIAL SIEMENS RAIL AUTOMATION

In his presentation, William Wilson will consider future developments in light of the requirements of mainline and metro operators. He will also look at current developments on the Thameslink project, including the use of Automatic Train Operation (ATO) with ERTMS Level 2 in a dense urban environment, and the application of CBTC technology within the central section of Crossrail. Both have a high dependence on train-borne systems, and face some major challenges associated with interfacing to legacy systems.

As another example, Siemens solutions for the Marmaray project in Turkey will be considered, with in-service experience of ERTMS and CBTC co-existing on the same railway.

Valley lines and South Wales main line electrification Business and economic opportunities 12:50 Thursday 14/05/2015

In his presentation, Stuart Cole will look at two aspects of the development of the railways in South Wales and the impact these will have, and are having, on commerce and the economy in South Wales.

The electrification of the Great Western main line and Valley lines will not only reduce journey times but provide a modern image of the modern Welsh economy, encouraging inward investment.

The Valley Lines, the Cardiff commuter network, will have increased passenger capacity with shorter journey times giving a more efficient means of commuter travel, once again encouraging local firms to expand and companies to relocate to this vibrant market.

The enhancement of the Welsh railway system, and

PROFESSOR STUART COLE

EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF TRANSPORT WALES TRANSPORT RESEARCH CENTRE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH WALES

the entire British railway network, also provides business opportunities for companies in Wales manufacturing components for new or refurbished trains.

Wales’ Advanced Materials & Manufacturing productivity is

over 25% HIGHER than the UK average We don’t do average in Wales.

No-one delivers like Wales.

That’s why our AM&M sector is geared to accommodate the most demanding business requirements. Our dedicated supply chain development team works across a range of industry sectors to connect you with suppliers, customers, academic support, training and financial services. We can also provide access to an extensive trade mission programme - enabling Wales based businesses to maximise their International business profiles with global OEMs. And they can also assist in identifying local sources for your raw material needs, along with any industry accreditations required, supporting you where possible to acquire those accreditations. No wonder our manufacturing output is over 25% higher than the UK average.

Want to know more about what tailored supply chain support could do for your business?

JustAsk.Wales.com +44 (0) 3000 6 03000

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RAILTEX

RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

The Knowledge Hub The full programme Tuesday 12 May 11:10 How regulation can help innovation

Anna Walker, ORR 12:50 Alliancing Best Practice

Platform discussion with Rail Champions 13:50 Railway Projects and Opportunities in Hong Kong

Steve Griffin, UKTI 14:30 Railway Projects and Opportunities in Europe

Jake Rudham, UKTI 15:10 Railway Projects and Opportunities in Middle East

Mike Shears, UKTI 15:50 Thameslink - progress so far and the challenges ahead

Simon Blanchflower, Thameslink Wednesday 13 May 11:10

11:50

12:30

13:10

13:50

14:30

15:10

Rail Supply Group - What’s in it for me?

Rail Supply Group Strategic implementation of BIM and the development of a digital railway Jon Kerby, HS2 MTR in Europe - the journey so far Jeremy Long, MTR Great Western Route Modernisation Patrick Hallgate, Network Rail Enabling the Digital Railway Phil Bennett, Network Rail The Problem with Innovation Platform discussion with Rail Champions How the IMechE Railway Division is helping the industry to address the skills challenge Simon Iwnicki & Chris Kitchin-Smith, IMechE

Thursday 14 May 11:10 EuroSpecs - A new approach to specifying rolling stock

David Polhill, ATOC 11:50 The Future of Data Collection

David Goddard, Network Rail 12:30 National Electrification Programme

Saleem Mohammad, Network Rail 13:10 Association for Consultancy and Engineering ACE 13:50 Achieving Sustainability

Platform discussion with Rail Champions

S

ome distance away from Rail Engineer’s seminar theatre, over at stand S31, will be the Knowledge Hub. Here, over the three days of the show, there will be updates on projects, forum discussions on various topics, and presentations on some of the more technical aspects of the railway.

So far as projects are concerned, Saleem Mohammad from Network Rail will be speaking on the National Electrification Programme, Simon Blanchflower on Thameslink and Patrick Hallgate on the modernisation of the Great Western.

John Kerby of HS2 will be discussing the implementation of BIM (if you don’t know what that is, go and see John’s talk) and the development of a digital railway - a topic which will later

be picked up by Network Rail’s Phil Bennett.

Anna Walker of the ORR (now the Office of Rail and Road) and Jeremy Long of MTR add to the variety, as will three talks from UK Trade & Investment and one from the Rail Supply Group.

A platform discussion each day, three presentations by UK Trade & Industry and one by the Rail Supply Group will also contribute to a varied programme that is well worth checking out.

A & J Fabtech T03 A J Paveley & Co M31 A.P. Diesels K90 Aalco Metals A81 AATi Rail C56 AB Connectors E90 Abacus Lighting U61 ABB R31 Acal BFi UK P90 Achilles Information K44 Acksys Communications & SystemsC11 ACOREL D60 Adaptaflex R31 Adlink Technology Inc P90 advance Training & Recruitment D50 AEG Power Solutions U11 Aggreko UK F67 Airquick (Newark) V10 Allan Webb B80 Alstom N11 Altec Aluminium Technik GmbH & Co. KGaA P17 Aluminium Lighting Company (ALC) H41 Amaro Group N43 Ambersil (CRC UK) G03 Amfax A91 Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics GmbH V53 AN4 Group B81 Anamet Europe BV F34 Anderton Concrete Products C31 Aqua Fabrications F31 Aqua-Solv Solutions B05 Archerdale B36 ARCO D81 ARM - Advanced Resource Managers M65 Armacell UK N95 Armorduct Systems A57 Arriva Traincare U17 Arrow Solutions M66 Artesyn Embedded Technologies B68 ASD Lighting plc T31 Ashtead Plant Hire P11 ASL S05 Associated Rewinds Ireland G16 AT Source QX T/A Protecthear B40 ATL Transformers Q44 Austin J International V63 Axis Communications (UK) C44 Axminster Carpets F03 Bakerail Services B50 Baldwin and Francis V03 Ballyclare T41 Basque Railway Components and Suppliers - SubcontEX Gipuzkoa S50 BCMGRC L91 Beck & Pollitzer E36 Be-Ge Seating UK D37 Bender UK J81 Bernstein R11 Bird Technologies E07 Blakley Electrics S16 Blocksil U60 Blocksil Spain U60 BMT Reliability Consultants D66 BOC Gases U90 Bombardier Transportation G60 Bombardier Transportation (Rolling T10 Stock) UK : BTRoS - Derby Bradgate Containers U54

Brecknell Willis Brecknell Willis Composites Bremskerl UK Britax PSV Wypers Brush Traction Burdens ByteSnap Design Cablecraft Cairn Cross Civil Engineering Cameron Forecourt Camlin Rail Cannon Technologies Cembre Censol Channeline International Charcroft Electronics Charles Endirect CHG Electrical Chieftain Trailers China CNR Corporation CIS Services Cisco Systems Clemtech Colchester Fuel Injection Columbus McKinnon Corporation Commend UK CommScope Concrete Canvas Cordant Services CRC Industries UK Creactive Design CSR Qingdao Sifang Co., CUBIS Industries D.K. Rewinds DAC Daforib Securite Data Display/Daktronics Data Track Systems David Brown Gear Systems DB Heavy Maintenance Defender Demco Depe Gear Company Derby & Derbyshire Rail Forum Design + Analysis D-Grease UK Diamond Point International (Europe) Dilax Systems UK Direct Track Solutions Divvali LED Lighting & Design DMS Technologies Dold Industries Dormer Pramet Dorset Woolliscroft DTI Group duagon AG Dura Composites DW Windsor DWG Timber Components EAO Eland Cables/Unipart Rail Ellis Patents Elma Electronic UK Eltek Power (UK) Emtelle UK EnerSys Erlau ESG Rail E-T-A Circuit Breakers

F81 F81 K84 D34 F81 C57 V90 H91 D45 A69 H51 R44 L51 U37 V67 C05 W16 B37 K61 N61 J05 G17 B51 F90 T66 E67 C66 V17 J91 G03 B44 P61 D11 F61 F30 B87 G10 W60 U01 U17 Q36 R55 C34 S11 D86 V51 N91 E17 T45 V61 C50 B11 Q55 B16 G34 T55 J51 W16 J61 K41 E11 M67 C84 K67 T64 N93 B46 T12 D68

ETLG Eurosafe Express Electrical & Engineering Supplies Express Medicals F.P. McCann Faiveley Transport FAL - Fundicao do Alto da Lixa SA Federal-Mogul Friction Products FERESPE-Fundicao de Ferro e Aco Lda Ferrograph Fibrelite Composites Findlay Irvine FinnPower Flexelec UK Flexibil SRL Flexicon FLI Structures (Francis & Lewis International ) Flotec Industrial Franke Sissons Frauscher UK Freyssinet FT Transformers Fuchs Lubricants (UK) Plc Fuelcare Furse g2 Energy GAI-Tronics a division of Hubbell Garrandale A11 & GDM Heat Transfer Gemco Equipment General Cable GGR Rail GIFAS Electric GmbH GILLAM-FEi SA Glenair UK Global Rail News GLS Coatings Gmeinder - M.Buttkereit GNB Industrial Power Goldwing Cable Greenwood Engineering A/S Griflex H.V. Wooding Hadleigh Castings HAKEL spol. s r.o.

Hargreaves Ductwork Harmill Systems Harting HaslerRail AG Hawker Siddeley Switchgear Hegenscheidt - MFD Hellermann Tyton Henry Williams Hepworth Fabrications Hepworth Rail International HH Lions Equipment Hilti (Gt.Britain) Hird Rail Services Hitachi Rail Europe Hoppecke Industrial Batteries Horizon Utility Supplies Houghton International Huber+Suhner (UK) Hunan Boyun-Dongfang Powder Metallurgy Co., Hunan Qixin TongCheng Building V50

H01 C65 D84 F66 W54 A47 U64 C10 R31 U31 B30 A01 T01 M85 U35 G51 W16 W44 B57 E61 H41 P93 B17 G91 B50 U10 C69 N66 V01 W34 D80 M51 C35 H41 G30 J45 P43 D93 D91 U14 D41 S41 J11 U67 S60 M50 W40

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Materials Products Co., Hunan Yi Da Enterprises Services HydraPower Dynamics Ilecsys Rail iLine Technologies / Channeline International Imetrum imi Precision Engineering Impreglon UK Imtech Traffic & Infra Infor Infotec Innovative Railway Safety Institution of Railway Signal Engineers International Engineering Invertec Interiors iris-GmbH Ixthus Instrumentation Jafco Tools Jewers Doors Jigsaw M2M JUMO Instrument Co K.S. Terminals Inc Kaba KeTech Keyline Rail Klauke UK KLW - WheelCo SA Knorr-Bremse Rail UK Kontron AG KOREC Group KROY (Europe) Kwik-Step LB Foster Rail Technologies LEM UK LH Group Services Lindapter International Line Worx Liniar Retaining Systems Link2 LINSINGER Maschinenbau GmbH Liquid Management Solutions Lista (UK) Lordgate Engineering LPA Channel Electric LPA Connection Systems LPA Excil Electronics LPA Group Plc LPDN - Luhn & Pulvermacher, Dittmann & Neuhaus Lucy Zodion LUR - Lucchini Unipart Rail M.A.C Solutions (UK) M.Buttkereit Mabey Hire Macemain + Amstad Manbat Marshalls plc MC Electronics Mechan MERMEC Met Systems Mettex Electric Company MGB Engineering MGF Trench Construction Mills Modern Railways Magazine Morgan Advanced Materials V31 U05 G11 Q67 P93 V91 P44 S64 F17 L93 N10 R03 M01 U16 U41 B85 C51 N60 H41

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Mornsun Guangzhou Science & Technology Co. Mors Smitt UK Moxa Europe GmbH MPI MSc Traction Oy MTM Power Messtechnik Mellenbach GmbH MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH Multipulse Electronics National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR) E51 & Navaho Technologies Network Certification Body (NCB) Network Storage Systems NewRail Centre for Railway Research Nexala Nightsearcher Nomad Digital Nord-Lock NR Engineering NRL Nusteel Structures Oxford Hydrotechnics Panasonic Computer Product Solutions Park Signalling Parker Hannifin Partex Marking Systems (UK) Passcomm Paul MacArthur T/A SCCS PCC.eu PC-Soft GmbH Permanent Way Institution Perpetuum PESA Petards Pfisterer PHS Besafe PILZ Automation Technology Platipus Anchors PMA UK Polydeck Polyrack Tech-Group Pontoonworks Portastor Prostyle Provertha Prysmian Group PULS UK Pulsarail Quantum Seating Rail Alliance Rail and Road Protec GmbH Rail Engineer Rail Media Rail Order Rail Professional Rail Safety Systems B.V. Rail Technology Magazine Rail Waiting Structures RailStaff Railway Approvals Railway Gazette International Railway Industry Association RailwayPeople.com Railweight Raspberry Software Systems J03 F10 S15 E35 K40 F01 H41 S68 F05 E01 G55 P33 P51 S51 C46 D03 R31 N51 R44 V41 R66 S91 J67 F80 A41 Q51 F37 C30 G45 E61 E61 V64 F07 L90 P41 D16 E61 T12 J01 N01 E61 B41 T54

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Raven Group M60 Rebo Systems A51 Red Plant U66 Reinforced Earth Company C14 Relec Electronics D90 Rennsteig Werkzeuge GmbH R93 Renown Consultants L61 Rexel UK V36 Ricardo UK T35 Rittal N41 Röchling Composites and Engineering Plastics C60 Rosehill Rail K31 Rowe Hankins C35 RUGGED MOBILE Systems Q65 RVEL - a Loram Company Q10 Sabre Rail Services D51 Saft K51 Saira Electronics SPA R01 Samuel Taylor V34 Sapa Profiles UK C40 SCG Solutions B15 Schaltbau Machine Electrics E41 Schneider Electric F60 Schoenemann Design F37 Schweerbau GmbH & Co KG Q17 Schweizer Electronic S65 Schwihag AG F16 Science & Technology Facilities Council C85 Sécheron SA T17 Selectrail (Australia) Pty C87 Semmco D87 Semperit AG T45 SES Contracting B60 SES Holdings (UK) B60 Shield Batteries E69 Siemens E51 & F51 Siemens RUGGEDCOM E51 & F51 SIG Plc S61 Signalling Solutions N31 Signature Aromas E30 Silver Fox B45 Site Eye Time-Lapse Films S66 SITECH UK and Ireland R17 SMP Electronics/Samalite Products C61 Snap-on Industrial L67 Socomec Q41 Sogefi Rejna SpA V31 Solo Rail Solutions N40 Specialist Engineering Services B60 Steelway Fensecure T11 Step On Safety N50 Strail UK F91 StrainSense R90 Strukton Rail R64 Sulzer V66 Surge Protection Devices V01 Syntax Consultancy S03 TAMMET Systems U66 Tata Steel M89 TBM Rail D84 TCP - BOC Ecolite U90 TE Connectivity E91 Tecton K91 telent Technology Services L31 Ten 47 R93 TenCate Geosynthetics UK T44 Tenconi SA T45 The Institution of Engineering & Technology (The IET) S93 The TEW Group R41 The Triscan Group W60 Tidyco S15 Tiflex E03 Time 24 G05 Tinsley Bridge Group B15 Tinsley Bridge Services B15 Torrent Trackside S01 TPA Portable Roadways S01 TQ Catalis T16 TRaC Global C16 TrainFX S10 Trainpassenger.com.

B90 Transurb Technirail R62 TRATOS Q30 Tribo Rail F86 Triscan Systems W60 Trojan Services N53 Trough-Tec Systems S41 Trueform Engineering R67 Tyrolit A61 UKDNWaterflow R51 Ultimate Hearing Protection Q61 Unilathe S90 Unipart Dorman S45 United Springs V31 Universal Heat Transfer D55 Valmont Stainton A17 Variable Message Signs E45 Visul Systems A31 Viztek M61 Vogelsang L11 Voith Industrial Services H11 Voith Turbo H11 Vossloh Cogifer P31 Vossloh Fastening Systems P31 Vulcanite Pty E34 Wabtec F81 Wabtec Rail F81 Wago Q63 WDS Component Parts R65 Webro W30 Weidmuller K80 Welsh Government H41 Werther International SpA U14 Westcode (UK) G41 Westermo Data Communications N44 Whitmore Rail Q01 Wilcomatic L11 Wireless CCTV D56 WMG centre HVM Catapult S62 Worlifts S67 WRS Cable U41 York EMC Services E81 ZEP UK S55 Zephir SpA F40 ZF Services UK L41 Zhuzhou Gofront Equipment Co., U55 Zhuzhou Yuntong Rail Products U53 Zhuzhou Zenpon Technology Industries Co., U51 Zircon Software B56 ZÖLLNER Signal GmbH C81 Zonegreen W10 Zoppas Industries Heating Element Technologies V11 Zuken D31

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Trade Publications

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RAILTEX

RAIL ENGINEER • MAY 2015 Rail Engineer • May 2015

Niche recruiter of highcalibre candidates Advance Training & Recruitment Services Advance Training & Recruitment Services is a niche rail recruiter, known for its ability to place high calibre candidates into roles on Network Rail, London Underground and metro infrastructure projects.

The company is expert in the recruitment of technical, managerial and directorial candidates for roles within signalling, telecommunications, electrification & power, permanent way, civils,

D50

M&E and project services.

Advance-TRS is a qualified member of the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), a badge of quality ensuring candidates and clients alike are represented by an organisation on the frontier of recruitment excellence.

To discuss careers and recruitment solutions, visit Stand D50 at Railtex 2015.

High-efficiency transformers ATL Transformers ATL is often asked what makes it different in the transformer market.

In short, its products carry the DNA of a family heritage stretching back 50 years. With a passion for transformer magnetics and with innovative design by default, ATL’s products and features are often imitated by competitors but never equalled.

After entering the rail market less than two years ago, ATL has become a supporting partner to Network Rail. The company has developed a whole new generation of bar-setting transformer

Do you need highlyskilled rail engineers?

ARM - Advanced Resource Managers ARM is proud to announce that it will be exhibiting at Railtex 2015 on stand M65.

Since it was founded in 1996, the company has developed a strong brand as a leading specialist talent provider across a variety of industry sectors, but in recent times its rail industry successes have really accelerated.

So the members of the ARM team thought it would be a great

M65

idea to give people from the rail industry a chance to voice opinions, ask for advice, share market knowledge and meet them faceto-face at one of the industry’s leading events.

Predominantly working with engineers aligned to infrastructure projects, power, telecoms and signalling, ARM also provides design, development and test professionals into the rolling stock space too.

Bespoke solutions and seamless integration Q44

specifications recognised and approved for use on Network Rail’s vast signalling power distribution Network.

Eco-rail high-efficiency transformers offer a magnitude of performance and environmental improvements over existing Class II legacy transformer technology.

This new generation delivers 60% reductions in CO2 emissions, are half the weight of existing products and have a maintenance-free asset life exceeding 100 Years.

Recently selected and installed

by Network Rail at its first SIN119 Legacy renewal site, ATL continues to support Network Rail and its contractors ,delivering environmentally-sustainable and future-proofed assets to their old and new systems.

Baldwin and Francis Baldwin and Francis Ltd (B&F) was established in Sheffield in the early 1920s and is a quality supplier of integrated electrical systems to the rail industry. B&F offers bespoke solutions with an emphasis on full service support and enjoys long standing relationships with clients throughout the network.

Renowned for tailor-made solutions, B&F designs, manufactures, installs and services high-quality products that are built to last.

From component-level design to custom-designed specials and full turnkey projects, B&F offers not only bespoke product design but also seamless integration with leading industry technologies. This ensures that the customer receives enhanced efficiency, reduced

V03 operational and maintenance costs and long-term reliability.

B&F takes pride in offering dedicated after sales support to all customers with specialists available for full maintenance/repairs and on-site staff training.

This, coupled with a reputation for safety, quality and excellence of engineering design, represents Baldwin & Francis Ltd commitment to providing unrivalled support to all its customers.

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BMT Reliability Consultants

Full range of rail solutions G60

BMT Reliability Consultants BMT Reliability Consultants is an operating company of BMT Group, the leading independent, international multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy.

The company provides decision support solutions to customers across the world in the areas of rail asset acquisition and through life operation. It brings a breadth and depth of domain knowledge, skills and experience - keen to enhance customers’ reputation as their

D66 independent, engineering partner.

Deploying a comprehensive range of complementary tools, techniques, services and support processes applied to equipment, systems and infrastructure, BMT delivers quantifiable improvements to clients’ business performance in terms of reduced risk, improved reliability, safety and cost-effectiveness thus enabling improved performance and cost efficiencies.

Human Factors is now a major part of the design and build of new assets. BMT can support design teams in ensuring that the asset or component being designed will be easier to maintain.

Through its network of companies, BMT Reliability Consultants can also facilitate assistance in structural integrity and electro-magnetic compatibility.

Join the digital revolution Camlin Rail

Camlin has a long history of innovation and delivering next generation technologies to the global rail market.

The company will be showcasing a number of exciting products at Railtex with applications ranging from intelligent power networks; the remote condition monitoring of earthworks and automated

H51 pantograph inspection of highspeed trains.

As Network Rail moves towards a digital railway, strategic assets need to become more intelligent, more resilient and more aware but this can only be achieved with innovative products and systems that ‘think’ for themselves.

Visit Camlin at stand H51 and see its very own digital revolution.

Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation provides a range of rail engineering, vehicle manufacture, maintenance support, rail control solutions and turnkey project management expertise. The company has built, or has on order, around 60% of the UK’s modernera rolling stock and maintains around a third of the UK fleet. With its rail engineering and aluminium car body manufacture in Derby, Bombardier is also the only company that both designs and manufactures trains in the UK. Bombardier supports train operators throughout the UK with its comprehensive range of fleet maintenance services, technical and materials support and vehicle upgrade solutions.

Maintenance crews throughout the country support train operators 24/7 to ensure excellent reliability and availability for their fleets. Bombardier also provides heavy maintenance services that add value and extend the life of

T10

rolling stock assets in the UK. Leading the light rail sector, the Bombardier Flexity family encompasses the industry’s most complete portfolio of tram and light rail solutions. Bombardier has supplied vehicles for Blackpool, Manchester, Nottingham, London Croydon and state-of-theart driverless vehicles for the Docklands Light Railway, which played a key role in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

With over 50 years’ experience in providing the latest signalling technology to the UK rail network, Bombardier’s rail control solutions business manufactures a range of railway signalling products for the UK and the global market with a portfolio including EBI Track train detection systems and associated test tools, EBI Light signals, European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) products and EBI Gate level crossings including the latest enhanced user worker crossings technology.

Meet Charcroft at Railtex on Stand No. C05

Specialist technical support on ‘Made for Rail’ electronics With decades of experience in distributing rugged electronic components for harsh applications, Charcroft’s product specialists provide through-life support for new designs and Maintenance Refurbishment or Overhaul (MRO) projects.

Power conversion

Approvals

• •

EN50155 & EN50121 EN61000

Rugged DC/DC modules High-reliability AC/DC modules

Circuit protection

• •

¾” fixed-temperature thermostats Hydraulic-magnetic circuit breakers

UL, CSA BS 6853, ISO 4589-2 EN60695, NF F 16-101, NF X 70-100, NF X 10-702 DD CEN/TS 45545-2

Chris Leek - Power Specialist chris.leek@charcroft.com

HVAC & refrigeration

•

Precision pressure sensors

UL, CDF-AEC-Q100-002

Traction & signalling

• • • •

High-speed opto-isolators High-power vitreous enamel resistors High-voltage ceramic capacitors Aluminium electrolytic capacitors

ATEX, IECEx, VDE, IP65 EN9100, IECQ

Jeff Gurr – Emech Specialist jeff.gurr@charcroft.com

www.charcroft.com/rail Email: request@charcroft.com Tel: 01591 610408 Passives, power, interconnect, emech and more Knowledge of yesterday Looking after today Supporting tomorrow.

Roger Tall – Passives & Opto Specialist roger.tall@charcroft.com

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Components for extended life Charcroft Electronics Charcroft Electronics knows that rugged electronic components provide only part of the solution for the electronics systems used in new rail industry designs and legacy equipment. That is why the company offers a team of product specialists which understand the challenges of designing or maintaining electronics systems in harsh environments and over an extended lifecycle.

A strong linecard of products offers power supplies and power conversion modules; thermostats and circuit breakers,

Rely on Dold for relays C05

opto-isolators, pressure sensors and passive components from some of the world’s leading component manufacturers, as well as specialist manufacturers.

This includes products which are approved to key rail standards such as EN50155, EN50121, EN6100 and EN60695 in addition to BS6853, and a range of NF fire and safety approvals.

Meet Charcroft’s product specialists on stand C05 at Railtex 2015 or email info@charcroft.com to arrange a time to meet your preferred specialist.

Repairing both timber and concrete DWG Timber Components DWG will once again be using its large multimedia screen to showcase its polyurethane life extension and maintenance products.

Spikefast is the timber product that is now gaining greater recognition within the industry as a simple to use, long-term solution for worn and damaged sleepers, bearers and timbers. The 20-minute set time makes it ideal for an industry that is constantly reducing possession times for maintenance and needs a long term fix for timber

Dold Industries Dold is a leading ISO 9001-approved European manufacturer of measuring relays, timers and interface relays for industrial, safety and railway applications, with a hard-earned reputation for service product reliability and performance.

Currently, throughout Europe, Canada, Asia and USA, many train manufacturers and maintainers confidently specify, install and rely on Dold relay products. As a direct result of this, many products in its range comply with the current UK rolling stock requirements for EMC, voltage & transients, temperature and shock and vibration.

Test and reliability data is available to customers on request, with the option of additional performance testing if required. The company’s

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railway-compliant products are also CE approved for railway applications.

As Dold is the designer and manufacturer of internal relays, enclosures and PCB assemblies, the company has the ability to offer cost effective and flexible technical solutions to replace many of the old and discontinued relays and timers still found in service on UK rolling stock.

Developments in DAS J61

on an ageing infrastructure.

Fastpatch concrete repair product comes in several different incarnations depending on what the problem is. There is Fastpatch LV for fine crack repairs in sleepers and concrete. This can also be used to glue in replacement housings and fixings with a cure time of 60 minutes.

Other Fastpatch variations can be discussed at the show with experts on the company’s stand - J61.

Both of the above products have full Network Rail approval.

ESG Rail ESG Rail, the UK’s fastest growing rolling stock consultancy, is proud to be exhibiting at Railtex 2015.

ESG offers innovative and valueled consultancy services in three categories - Strategic, Technical and Integration.

At this year’s exhibition, ESG will showcase its expertise in Driver Advisory System (DAS) integration and will have a demonstration unit on stand T12. DAS ensures optimum train performance, with minimum energy consumption. ESG has a contract with Stagecoach’s South West Trains (SWT) franchise for the turnkey installation of DAS onto 249 units (498 cabs). This system will allow SWT to operate a greater number of trains per hour into and out of London’s Waterloo station.

T12

ESG will also be displaying its new branding at the exhibition and will have a team of experts on hand to discuss opportunities and explain its wealth of experience.

ESG is part of DB Systemtechnik, Europe’s largest railway consultancy.

Ra S ilte ee x - us St at an dJ 61

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Lightweight and a choice of colours Fibrelite Composites Fibrelite is the world-leading manufacturer of innovative glass reinforced plastic (GRP) composite access covers and is renowned for its high quality technical support and service.

Initially developed 35 years ago and now industry-standard for petrol station forecourts, Fibrelite covers are increasingly specified as an alternative to the much less durable and heavier metal and concrete options in both new construction and retrofit work across all major industries including rail. They can be moulded in virtually

J87 any colour or colour combination with no scratching or fading over time. This means that covers can incorporate logos and/or be colorcoded to match a facility’s branding - or even to identify specific underground services.

Fibrelite’s technical experts will be demonstrating the many benefits of the industry’s leading lightweight composite access covers and modular trench panels at Railtex. So why not come along to see them on Stand J87 plus easy-lift an access cover for yourself?

Transforming rail travel Hitachi Rail Europe

Hitachi Rail Europe is playing a significant role in the transformation of rail manufacturing and travel in the UK. On its stand, the company will be profiling some of its latest market successes as well as providing details of the purpose-built train manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe, which will be opened later

J11 this year.

There will also be an update on Hitachi’s signalling and traffic management systems which are increasing the reliability and efficiency of train fleets.

For those wishing to be part of this success, there will be a dedicated careers area where they can learn more about working for Hitachi as it increases its product range and reach across the country.

Further to this, Hitachi will be exclusively launching its headline vision for the future of high-speed rail travel in the UK through the use of augmented reality and 3D imaging.

Hitachi Rail Europe is proud to be exhibiting once again at Railtex visit stand J11 to find out more.

Improved connectivity Harting HARTING is featuring a range of future proof connectivity solutions to help improve on-board Ethernet networks and inter-car technology.

Transmission of high-speed signal and data is a key challenge on stateof-the-art trains. Users have turned to Ethernet technology to deliver viable solutions, using a central Ethernet ‘backbone’ that supports structured networks throughout the entire length of the train.

Users can now achieve 10Gigabit transmission tested to IEEE 802.3 utilising CAT 7 cables and HanModular® connectors with ground disconnect. This improved inter-car connection allows for faster and more reliable on-board connectivity.

Supporting CAT 5, 6 and 7Ea, this new offering from HARTING allows train operators to future proof for

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stock upgrades.

HARTING, which carries IRIS certification to meet the stringent demands of the rail industry, has designed the Han® M Plus range of connectors specifically for railway applications. This new range incorporates effective protection against extreme environmental influences through the use of an additional polyurethane coating.

The coating not only increases the impact resistance but also protects them from extreme mechanical and chemical influences.

Putting robust railway communications on track Huber + Suhner

Huber + Suhner, the gobal connectivity supplier, is once again proving its extensive expertise in rail applications with its comprehensive portfolio of products on show at Railtex 2015. Illustrating the company’s comprehension for the future of railway communications, the company will showcase a wideranging collection of highly efficient and robust solutions for trackside and train to ground communications and many other applications that are indispensable to reliable railway services.

Exhibits will include trackside and roof-top antennas, fibre optic cable systems, radio frequency cables and assemblies as well as the latest RADOX® databus, signal and power cables.

W40

Well known in the rail industry for its rolling stock products but with a growing number of world-wide success stories under its belt, Huber + Suhner is firmly becoming noted for its trackside products too, offering a complete range of products and solutions for the future of the modern railway.

Twice the size, twice the service

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Folding doors are the perfect choice J41

Jewers Doors

Jewers Doors manufactures a range of industrial doors for train and tram entrances to maintenance depots as well as doors for other vehicular openings to depots, wheel lathes, train washes, bogie drops, train assembly workshops and industrial buildings.

Products include the Swift bi-folding door for single-road openings, Osprey multi-leaf sliding

New RailServices maintenance, overhaul and modernisation

folding doors for wider apertures and Kingfisher straight sliding doors.

Swift, Osprey and Kingfisher doors are from Jewers Doors’ Phoenix product range.

Swift bi-folding industrial doors are the perfect choice for train maintenance depot doors.

Configured as side-hung, bi-folding doors (i.e. in four leaves with two leaves hung from and folding to each side of the opening), Swift doors are designed to open and close safety around live overheadline equipment and integrate with the BMS for ultimate safety at all times.

Rail tracks are not affected by the operation of the doors as leaves sweep across the tracks without the need for a bottom guide channel in the threshold.

Autonomous health management Kontron

Kontron delivers feature-rich building block solutions that facilitate design flexibility and are matched to any train programme profile.

At Railtex, Kontron will introduce the latest addition to its TRACe™ family of operational computers designed specifically for the transportation market.

Visitors will be able to see the unique autonomous TRACe health management features which

Knorr-Bremse Knorr-Bremse’s UK operations have more than doubled in size since the last Railtex in 2013. KnorrBremse Rail UK now operates from four major facilities around the UK and offers customers an even larger range of systems and services. In addition, the Knorr-Bremse global Rail Group has grown and has developed new technologies to support rail vehicle operations.

The main development in the UK is the new RailServices maintenance, overhaul and modernisation organisation which offers a full support service for UK and Ireland based fleet owners and operators.

RailServices operate from two major, dedicated UK facilities and employs over 500 people. Located at Springburn near Glasgow and at Wolverton near Milton Keynes, it

G31 offers the capability and capacity to support operators in keeping rail vehicles in safe, reliable, economical, revenue-earning service.

Melksham in Wiltshire is the HQ location for UK operations and the source of all Knorr-Bremse Rail Group products and systems locally. Together with the specialist facility for HVAC systems at Burton on Trent, these two sites between them employ some 500 people.

Survey solutions for rail U45

enhance safety and reliability while reducing maintenance and operations costs.

The TRACe™ G304-TR transportation computer gateway delivers excellent Wi-Fi connectivity for passenger infotainment or operator remote control and maintenance while the TRACe M304-TR MVB Class 1 (up to Class 4) controller is designed specifically for TCMS (Train Control Management Systems). All are built using Kontron’s rugged design methodologies for virtually maintenancefree operation in harsh environments

Korec Group

Korec has, for over 40 years, been dedicated to providing customers with the best possible productivity solutions and surveying equipment, and its partnership with Trimble means that it’s sure to have the right answer - whatever the requirements.

Today, Korec is one of Trimble’s largest distributors worldwide, providing single source supply for advanced GPS positioning solutions to the construction, surveying and GIS mapping Industries.

Korec specialises in the provision of construction, machine control and survey solutions for the rail industry. It provides a wide range of total stations, GPS, grade lasers, machine control systems, track measuring devices, levelling and

R17 alignment instruments, as well as asset management systems which are suitable for use across a wide range of rail infrastructure projects.

Korec offers sales, hire, service and repair as well as training courses with Trimble certified instructors across the UK and Ireland.

RAILTEX

RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer •• MAY May 2015

UK stockists of specialist hi-vis garments to the rail industry

St

Unique laundering system to prolong the life of garments

On-Board Energy Metering

x lte 05 ai R R and

SUPPLY LAUNDER MANAGE

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EM4T II

Fully managed workwear tracking, reporting and locker service

DV

029 2080 9090 productinfo@besafe.co.uk phs.co.uk/besafe Please quote source code S1960

COME AND VISIT US ON STAND S51

ITC

EM4T II - DV - ITC The right combination of Energy Meter & Transducers to meet EN 50463.

Whatever the traction network, calculating precise billing data for both supplied and regenerated energy can be accomplished on-board, independently of the energy supplier, with the Energy Meter from LEM. To enable traction system designers to meet the requirements of EN 50463, the LEM EMF ( Energy Measurement Function) matches enhanced accuracy Class 0.5R current and voltage transducers with the new EM4T II energy meter.

INNOVATION in Rail

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Phoenix range Swift automatic bi-folding doors – the only solution for rail depots.

At the heart of power electronics.

Safe, energy efficient, fast, reliable and industry proven.

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• EM4T II energy meter rated & certified to Class 0.5R accuracy - Single-phase energy meter - Tracking & logging energy consumption - Four input channels for any AC or DC traction supply network - Calculates active & reactive energy - Compiles a load profile - Stores values - Train identification & location • DV series voltage transducers Class 0.5R accuracy 1000-4200 VRMS • ITC series current transducers Class 0.5R accuracy 2000-4000 ARMS

01767 317090 postroom@jewersdoors.co.uk

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Modular platforms and stairways D17

Kwik-Step Kwik-Step has introduced a range of robust GRP platforms in addition to its range of modular stairways. The platforms include refuges, lookout posts and modular walkways.

While Kwik-Step stairways are an ideal choice for access to the line-side, if the location lacks a place of safety due to degraded embankments, minimal cess or poor visibility then a platform can

be installed to provide a quick and cost-effective solution.

All platforms are supplied flat-packed from stock and all share the same modular design including a range of leg options to suit different embankments and ground conditions.

With minimal groundwork the platforms can easily be installed by a small team within a single shift.

High slip-resistance clamp Lindapter

Lindapter will be launching its latest steel connection solution at Railtex: the Type AAF Clamp that is specifically designed for high load requirements, including frictional, tensile and combined load applications.

Typical applications include securing architectural façades to station buildings, adding digital displays to platforms and building new steel-framed depots. More specialist applications include the structural reinforcement of station roofs and bridges.

Cutting-edge current measurement R05

LEM LEM is the market leader in providing innovative and high quality solutions for measuring electrical parameters. Its core products current and voltage transducers - are used in a broad range of applications in drives & welding, renewable energies & power supplies, traction, high precision, conventional and green cars businesses.

Modes of public transport such as high-speed trains, city transit systems and freight trains

provide the ideal solution to meet the increased demand for more mobility whilst helping to fight pollution and traffic congestion.

Power electronics is essential to driving and controlling energy in these systems. New requirements are continuously emerging in the railway industry, such as the demand for energy measurement, track objects monitoring and a need to constantly improve maintenance infrastructures.

Working jack raises profile A45

Made from low temperature SG iron to EN 1563 and hot dip galvanised to EN ISO 1461, the clamp offers high load capacities and corrosion protection even in cold environments, where impact strength is important. The patented two-part design self-adjusts to suit 6-30mm flange thicknesses allowing a quicker, easier and more convenient installation process than drilling or welding.

With over 80 years’ experience as a premium British manufacturer, Lindapter has industry leading product approvals and independently approved safe working loads. Moreover, there is a list of clamping systems that have been approved by Network Rail in Lindapter’s new rail brochure. Pick up your copy on Railtex stand A45.

Mechan Mechan is exhibiting the first-ever working version of its flagship lifting jacks to be seen outside a rail depot at this year’s Railtex exhibition. The Sheffield-based maintenance equipment specialist will be showcasing a full size, fully operational jack, complete with the firm’s patented Megalink controller, on stand N10 to illustrate the precision, build quality and ease of installation for which the firm’s products are renowned.

Visitors will also be able to find out more about the European innovations supplied to the UK and Ireland by Mechan. The firm will be joined by representatives from electric shunter specialists, Zwiehoff, Blaschke exhaust extraction systems and the manufacturers of laser measuring devices, Visiona

N10 and NextSense, who will have their WheelPro and CALIPRI devices available to view.

Lee Pitts, Mechan’s sales manager, said: “Our bright yellow lifting jacks are instantly recognisable to those who work in rail depots and we are looking forward to demonstrating how our Megalink technology equips them with unrivalled synchronicity, accuracy and reliability. The sheer size of a single unit will no doubt catch the eye of anyone passing our stand at Railtex and we are really pleased to have this opportunity to bring such a large piece of equipment to an exhibition.”

Kwik - Step

Modular Platforms and Stairways

Lookout Post Lightweight GRP Minimal Groundworks Simple Assembly Available from Stock Other Sizes Available

Galvanized Steel Stairways Minimal Groundworks Simple Assembly Use Immediately Range from 12째 to 45째 Available from Stock 0117 929 1400

www.kwik-step.com

info@kwik-step.com

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Specialist engineering staff MPI MPI will be exhibiting at Railtex for the first time and is delighted to be part of such an important and high profile event in the Rail industry. Staff are looking forward to catching up with current clients and candidates as well as meeting potential new ones.

The exhibition will give MPI an

NCB leading the way for rail safety certification K66

excellent opportunity to show the rail industry the professional recruitment services it provides as well as some innovative ideas for safety and trainee development.

The company has a proud track record of supplying the following sectors throughout the UK on a contract and permanent basis: signalling, rolling stock, telecommunications, professional & technical, civil, protection and fixed price delivery.

Proud to be industry expert suppliers, working collaboratively to provide a competent, innovative and cost effective service, MPI has 53 years experience in improving customers flexibility and efficiency through the supply of specialist engineering staff for temporary or permanent roles.

Lifecycle management solutions Nexala

Nexala, a Trimble company, is a leading provider of systems and solutions for the rail, bus, tram, and transport infrastructure sectors.

The company’s fully integrated portfolio addresses everything from full fleet maintenance, real-time remote vehicle diagnostics and in-service vehicle performance and recovery through to driver

M11 performance management, timetable conformance and penalty management. With the Nexala suite of products, organisations can develop a seamless solution across component and fleet types.

Many of the largest railways in the world rely on Trimble solutions to plan, build, and maintain their track and structures. With the acquisition of Nexala’s rail vehicle lifecycle management solutions for passenger and freight train operators, Trimble now offers innovative solutions for both the track infrastructure and the train assets that run on it.

The addition of Nexala’s solutions to Trimble’s portfolio extends each company’s ability to deliver more powerful and robust rail solutions.

E85

Network Certification Body Network Certification Body (NCB), an independent subsidiary company of the Network Rail Group, is a full-service safety certification provider, meaning businesses don’t have to go anywhere else. With accreditation as both a Notified Body (NoBo) and a Designated Body (DeBo) it provides conformity assessment against UK and European standards across rail infrastructure, vehicles and freight.

The company also offers bestpractice training in a number of specialist areas, as well as independent and impartial advice on authorisation strategy, audits and safety assessment.

Relatively new to the market, NCB has a fresh approach, with the customer placed firmly at the centre of their service. Explaining

NCB’s philosophy, managing director James Collinson said: “Safety accreditation is a nonnegotiable subject in the rail industry. "Companies simply can’t do business without it and in the past this meant it was a compulsory purchase, with little or no consideration been given to the quality of service provided. "Rail industry professionals, particularly in the vehicle and freight sectors, should demand an innovative and efficient service from a certification provider who will put their needs first. This is what NCB is all about.”

Managed service NRL

NRL Rail Division is a flexible and dynamic specialist in the provision of a managed service with extensive experience in the rail sector. It specialises in the areas of grinding, signalling, S&C and ultrasonic inspection and training.

Continually reviewing its service in line with customer needs, NRL maximises the efficiency of its integrated management system.

By its commitment to minimising impact on the environment, NRL protects the health and safety of all individuals affected by either its activities or advice, including employees and the public, whilst providing quality of delivery.

Throughout the three-day Railtex event, NRL will be located at stand D85 which is in close proximity to

D85

the seminar theatre. Its experienced team will be in attendance to discuss its wide-range of services and review how its services can be tailored to meet clients’ specific requirements.

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Wireless sensors give quick pay-back Perpetuum

Perpetuum is a global leader in the provision of information to maximise safety and reliability and reduce costs. Its award winning, self-powered, wireless sensing technology, combined with its vibration engineering expertise and rich analytics, provides real time information that enables the rail industry to optimise railway operations.

Supply, manage, launder E01

At Railtex 2015 Perpetuum will be demonstrating its Track Health Index - a real time condition monitoring score for rail and track bed produced

by Perpetuum’s bespoke algorithms.

These use data from Perpetuum’s self-powered wireless sensor node, the only mass-produced device that provides condition information on the vehicle (bearings and wheels) as well as the track allowing for rapid payback. With installation times of less than 20 minutes due to its wireless design, there is also no impact on the train’s availability during fitment.

This revolutionary technology is deployed on over 6,000 assets and is operational in the UK, Australian, Irish and Swedish national passenger rail networks.

PLCs for level crossings Pilz Automation Technology Pilz PSS 4000-R safety PLCs (Programme Logic Computers) have been used widely throughout Europe at level crossings, which has partly led Network Rail to work with Pilz in the development of a case for their use in the UK. Over the next five years, more than 464 level crossings need upgrading and the cost can be drastically reduced by replacing traditional railway

C46 signalling relays with safety PLCs. Railway relays are large and a typical automatic relay-controlled level crossing requires a REB (relocatable electrical building) to house them. There are also maintenance and fault-finding issues associated with the hardwired relay logic. This makes software-driven PLC logic, with its attendant space and lifetime cost saving, extremely attractive.

The first stage has been the development of rigs which show how a PSS 4000-R system can be used to control the most complex of level crossings, the MCB-OD, which is an automatic barrier system with RADAR and LIDAR obstacle detection. A real-world application is not far away as stakeholder buy-in has been secured on all major routes.

S51

PHS Besafe

PHS Besafe is focussed on the continual development of specialist workwear and laundering processes, ensuring that not only is optimum protection provided for rail workers, but also the best image of a customer’s business is presented at all times.

The health, safety and wellbeing of any company’s employees is paramount to its business.

PHS Besafe offers high quality, technically advanced garments across four ranges on a fullymaintained rental and laundry solution. Every garment is designed to ensure that the workforce is equipped with clothing that’s comfortable, light, practical, and above all, provides optimum protection for them in the

demanding environments in which they work.

The PHS Besafe managed workwear laundering service gives complete traceability of all garments. Specially developed wash processes enhance the longevity of workwear, offering an unbeatable lifespan for clothing, which in turn saves on the cost of workwear outlay as well as being an environmentally considerate solution.

Anchoring and drainage solutions D03

Platipus Anchors Platipus Anchors, the leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of mechanical ground anchoring systems, provides some of the most innovative and cost-effective anchoring and drainage solutions for railway earthworks and structures including: »» Landslip prevention and remediation »» Erosion control »» Slope stabilisation »» Retaining walls

»» »» »» »»

Bridge repair Sheet pilling Rock retention Rope access The Platipus system is fast and easy to install and ideal for emergency and permanent applications. The company also offers geotechnical design assistance, site testing, on-site training and demonstration.

For more information, please visit us on stand D03 at Railtex.

ANCHORING & DRAINAGE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE LAND SLIPS 12 – 14 MAY 2015 NEC, BIRMINGHAM

STAND D03

Installed by

DRAINAGE

ROPE ACCESS RESTRAINT

Land Slip Prevention & Remediation Emergency & Permanent Solutions Cost-Effective Alternative

01737 762300

EARTH RETAINING STRUCTURES

Fast & Easy Installation Geotechnical Design Assistance & Site Testing On-Site Training & Demonstration

@ info@platipus-anchors.com

www.platipus-anchors.com

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Innovative floating solutions V41

Pontoonworks Pontoonworks is delighted to be able to showcase one of its ‘Access Installations’ at the NEC this year, showing Railtex visitors one example of how its pontoon hire

Industrial Ethernet connectors

service supports the construction industry. A 1000m² public access walkway dissects Pendigo Lake in front of the main entrance, directing pedestrians away from the Resort's World Birmingham construction site.

The company’s excellent reputation is unquestionable. It has been offering solutions to customers’ problems for many years, providing a wide range of innovative floating solutions including safe working platforms, deflection booms, fall arrest platforms, floating site office and welfare units to name but a few.

There are many modular pontoon systems available for purchase and hire, some good and some bad, but Pontoonworks is the only company that will combine the highest level of service, product and innovation.

High-performance protection Pulsarail Pulsarail has, over the past 8 years, been building awareness throughout the UK which has been critical to the success of the Pulsar® and Pulsarail® brands. With every garment being manufactured to exacting standards, wearers can be confident in the knowledge that their clothing will protect them from all elements and potential workplace hazards.

Following almost three years in

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Provertha

Provertha will highlight its range of M12, IP67 crimp cable connectors in A and D code 4, 5 and 8 pin. There will also be a preview of the soonto-be-available ‘X’ code. These fullycrimped robust connectors are small in diameter and simple to assemble in the field. Once terminated, they provide reliable shielding over a full 360 degrees. They meet with all the required rail standards and are

compatible with all standard Railcat cables.

In addition, Provertha will be showing a new M12 90 degree back shell which has eight different, angled cable-entry options.

The full range of D sub full metal hoods, including the new die cast Quick lock and Profibus DIN rail adaptor, will also be on display.

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development, a brand new Pulsar FR Arc High Visibility orange class 3, GO/RT 3279, flame-retardant, antistatic, electric arc protective combat coverall and class 2 combat trouser are available from stock.

Using Waxman Fibres’ patented blend Protal® 5, these garments have a 16 Cal/cm² ATPV rating, virtually double the performance of the next market-leading fabric currently available. Combine that with the Xcelcius® Arc base layers and protection increases to a staggering 42.6 Cal/cm² ATPV rating.

Something not to miss at Railtex is the launch of Pulsar ULTRA. Two foul weather garments available in GO/RT high-visibility orange, being completely redesigned and restructured in a way the market has never seen before.

Rail Media

Rail Media is the market leading rail industry publisher. Its titles include Rail Engineer, RailStaff and website GlobalRailNews.com.

Away from its publications, Rail Media also runs an ever-expanding series of events, including the RailStaff Awards, the Rail Safety Summit and the Rail Exec Club.

The group also boasts the largest rail recruitment website in the world, RailwayPeople.com, which currently advertises over 2,500 jobs (who

E61 says there are no jobs out there??).

Writers, editors, production and support staff will be on hand at Railtex to discuss feature articles, effective marketing and advertising programmes, professional development and recruitment campaigns with visitors and fellow exhibitors alike.

Whatever your need to publicise your company or what it is doing (or should be doing), visit stand E61 and talk with the professionals.

RAILTEX

RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer •• MAY May 2015

THE RAIL ENGINEER (130H x 90W)

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Quality on Reflection

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WORKING ON WATER VISIT US AT

01935 814 950 office@pontoonworks.co.uk pontoonworks.co.uk

RAILTEX ‘15 NEC BIRMINGHAM

12-14 MAY 2015 STAND Q51

Secure data transfer in the rail industry

0844 6691860 PRAYBOURNE.CO.UK ENQUIRIES@PRAYBOURNE.CO.UK

Join us at Railtex stand B41 to find out more

Need to protect against overloading and imbalance on your trains?

Railweight’s specialist rail weighing technology and data management system, I-LINE2, will ensure you comply with legislation and safety regulations and work within the network’s operational requirements.

I-LINE2 can manage, archive, report and alert you to any infringements before your train reaches the main line.

T: +44 (0) 845 246 6714 E: sales@railweight.co.uk www.averyweigh-tronix.com

www.provertha.com

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Weight management software Railweight

Railweight will be exhibiting its market-leading rail weighing solutions on stand B41.

Coupling high accuracy weighing hardware with sophisticated data management systems, I-LINE2 is Railweight’s information interface between the Weighline and Streamline train weighing solutions.

Browser-based, I-LINE2 displays or prints train weight data as it is captured by Weighline or Streamline weighing systems. The user-friendly

Jobs online and interactive B41

interface provides a quick visual representation of data for fast on-screen analysis, as well as more in depth processing capabilities and the ability to share data across multiple locations.

The Railweight stand will be showcasing the powers of its weight management software and the importance of weight accuracy in the rail industry through a train simulation. Trains will be departing every few minutes from the stand.

Fully-compliant power supplies Relec Electronics

Relec Electronics will be showcasing its wide range of railway specification power supplies for AC-DC or DC-DC power conversion on stand D90, whether for trackside equipment applications running from an AC or DC supply, or train-borne operating from all common DC traction supplies from 24V through to 120V DC. The Relec engineering team can provide the optimum solution from an extensive range of fullycompliant power supplies.

D90 Complementing the power supplies is a comprehensive range of EMC filters from 0.5A to 1100A for DC, single phase and three phase applications.

In addition Relec will be demonstrating the latest in TFT display and touch panel technology, with enhancements to provide optimum viewing, even in bright sunlight, suitable for a multitude of applications from ticket machines to in-cab data. Visit the Relec stand and see for yourself.

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The Recruitment Wall

The Recruitment Wall at Railtex, powered by RailwayPeople, features exhibitor vacancies and enables visitors to find their potential next career move and go and discuss the vacancy directly with the company.

Many of the exhibitors at the show will have posted their current vacancies on RailwayPeople, the industry’s largest and most-effective job board. Advisers will be on-hand to talk visitors through the process, after which they can either see prospective employers on their stands or apply for the role or more information online.

Having a fully-interactive Recruitment Wall, rather than a simple hard-copy notice board,

is sure to draw the attention of job seekers, recruiters and HR professionals alike.

Intelligent lubrication brings cost savings Rowe Hankins

Rowe Hankins will highlight its skills in the design, development and manufacturing of safety critical rail products, including speed control, wheel flange lubrication and high-integrity circuit protection, all of which will be exhibited at the event.

Most recently, the British manufacturer has introduced Intelligent Wheel Flange Lubrication (iWFL), an on-train system which applies precise amounts of biodegradable lubricant. The system, greatly reduces wheel and track wear, decreasing the need for maintenance and offering substantial cost savings.

Its intelligent design senses the location and intensity of track curves using a combination of

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GPS signals and speed and distance sensors. The unit processes the data and, only where required, applies lubricant precisely at each location.

At Railtex, Rowe Hankins will also showcase the capabilities of its Service Centre, located at the company’s factory in north Manchester. The team of engineers specialises in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of electromechanical equipment, providing substantial savings.

THE COMPLETE SIGNALLING SOLUTION

Network Rail’s Contractor for Great Western Inner and Outer Signalling Frameworks Signalling Solutions is a leader in the provision of train control solutions in the UK, offering a complete range of services from design to full project delivery.

Our systems are capable of meeting the demands of modern railway networks, allowing safer and faster project installation and reducing whole life costs. We give you complete visibility and control over

excellence in train control

A Balfour Beatty and Alstom Company

your network operations in real-time, increasing reliability and traffic flow.

Our solutions are ERTMS ready, in successful commercial operation and delivering significant benefits to operators across Europe.

Our expertise and experience in supporting the UK’s rail network has placed us at the heart of innovation and technological development within the sector.

+44 (0) 1923 635 000 info@signallingsolutions.com www.signallingsolutions.com Signalling Solutions Limited, Bridgefoot House, Watling Street, Radlett, WD7 7HT

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Signalling Solutions Limited (SSL) promotes its leading position on three key signalling technologies at Railtex 2015: Iconis, Atlas and Smartlock. These systems, developed by Alstom Transport, are already delivering safe, reliable and efficient solutions at the cutting edge of signalling worldwide.

Alstom’s ‘Iconis’ traffic management system provides optimised network control in some of the busiest railways around the globe. Iconis allows a continuous real-time picture of the network, enabling total visibility and control.

The powerful, proven system software pre-empts conflicts,

reduces incidence recovery and increases reliability and traffic flow.

The ‘Atlas’ ETCS system, proven throughout Europe, has excellent pedigree and accounts for more than 70% of all full ETCS level 2 supervised tracks across Europe.

More than 1,100 trains have been fitted with Atlas, delivering safe, efficient and reliable operations.

Alstom’s Smartlock computer based interlocking system is arguably the most powerful and reliable railway signalling interlocking solution. Proven in use, the central interlocking software is able to partition huge areas of rail network into ‘virtual interlockings’ that reduce cross boundary issues and enable more efficient and effective control of the rail network.

635 000 info@signallingsolutions.com www.signallingsolutions.com Solutions Limited, Bridgefoot House, Watling Street, Radlett, WD7 7HT

Cable labels are NOT all the same Silver Fox

Silver Fox, manufacturer of highquality cable labels, emphasises that, while two yellow labels may look the same, this doesn’t mean they are.

With even more pressure on installation time and subsequent maintenance costs, choosing the right system and labels is becoming increasingly important. The wrong choice now can add significant time and costs later.

Silver Fox offers a wide choice of

B45 labelling solutions types, including Fox-Flo® UV-Stable LS0H Tie-on Cable Labels, Legend™ Heat-Shrink and Non-Shrink Tubing and Endurance® Modular ID. There are also the appropriate approvals from Network Rail and LUL. Nick Michaelson, CEO of Silver Fox commented, “Our continual product development and testing ensures our solutions are best suited to the ever increasing market expectations to save time and cost! Fox-Flo labels are particularly durable.

The independent test results are outstanding.”

He continues, “As a true UK manufacturer, we are able to actively control quality, give highly flexible responsive deliveries, and can produce special orders.”

Siemens

Siemens will once again have a major presence at this year’s Railtex exhibition, reinforcing the company’s commitment to the UK rail sector and demonstrating its unrivalled capability to deliver total rail solutions - from trains to infrastructure.

With a capability that spans research and development, design, manufacture, installation, testing and commissioning, Siemens’ team of technical experts will be on hand to talk to visitors about both product solutions and project delivery - with the Thameslink, Crossrail, GNGE and Reading programmes all part of the company’s current portfolio.

The stand will also be a showcase for the National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR), which will be opening its doors to trainees for the first time this autumn. A flagship traction and rolling stock training centre, NTAR will offer unrivalled facilities to provide the well-trained and skilled workforce that the

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industry needs.

Throughout the stand will be displays of systems and solutions from Siemens’ complete rail offering, with a model of the Eurostar e320 train one of the highlights. Based on the company’s proven Velaro platform, the e320 is scheduled to enter operational service with Eurostar at the end of 2015, setting new standards in high speed international rail travel.

One of the recurring themes of the stand will be the technology required to support a digital railway, with a particular emphasis on the development and implementation of Siemens’ energy-efficient solutions.

Visitors will have an opportunity to see a demonstration of the company’s European Train Control System (ETCS), as well as a range of mobile communications solutions including the latest developments in the company’s GSM-R cab radio, remote condition monitoring and driver advisory systems.

RAILTEX

RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer •• MAY May 2015

See Us At Railtex

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Transforming the Market

by Turning Our Customers’ Wishes Into Reality

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PA05/06003 Class II Hybrid

Highly-flexible, closed-cell insulation material with low smoke density and Microban® antimicrobial protection for HVAC systems in railway vehicles. First flexible closed-cell insulation that fulfils hazard level 2 according to EN 45545.

Don’t settle for conventional insulation, go for the new standard in performance, efficiency and flexibility - install it, trust it.

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FT Transformers Advert4a.indd 1

100% British Innovation, Design & Manufacture to the UK Rail Industry All of our products are Network Rail approved

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The only Network Rail approved combined walkway and large capacity cable trough The original recycled polymer lightweight cable trough with self securing and self gapping lids

www.trojan-services.com e: info@trojan-services.com

t: 0845 074 0407

The only Network Rail approved lightweight polymer ballast board system

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Creative and bespoke products Step On Safety

Step on Safety is a GRP fabrications company with a multimillion-pound turnover. It is a major supplier to the rail industry and has the experience and ability to produce creative and bespoke products.

The announcement of the Northern Hub, Network Rail’s plan to create better connections between key towns and cities in the North, is good news for companies involved in rail and Step on Safety has identified it as an excellent opportunity to showcase its creativity.

“The Rail Industry has always been important to us and never more so since the unveiling of Network Rail’s visionary Northern Hub and the opportunities it creates for the future of rail travel and companies

Fully-managed graduate programme N50

Syntax Consultancy, after continued investment and expansion of its rail recruitment division, feels it is essential to showcase its expertise alongside its valued clients, and also to potential clients and candidates like ours,” said Sue Rudland, Step on Safety group marketing manager.

GRP products have been used in the rail industry for years but demand for the material is at an all-time high. The Essex-based company is currently working on a project for Southern Railway in greater London where it is installing two GRP (glass reinforced plastic) platforms at Selhurst depot. The platforms are the longest and, at double the height, the tallest that the company has ever built.

Innovative technology shapes the future Telent Technology Services

Telent will be using its stand at Railtex to show how some of its latest innovations are helping to shape the future of the rail industry.

Having been evolving since 2006, the latest version of MICA, Telent’s station management system, embraces Wi-Fi in order to go mobile and enable its existing capability to be accessed by staff via hand-held devices such as iPads and iPods.

Syntax Consultancy

L31 Demonstrations will show how Telent is using sensors to monitor vital components within a wide range of station assets to predict and avoid failure in order to prevent service disruption. New CCTV Analytics software incorporates the latest in image recognition and interpretation to ensure system reliability and continuity.

The latest generation of Digital Voice Announcement systems, deployed around the world, combine exquisite audio quality and best in class ergonomics with the additional benefits of IP technology.

In addition, the traction power SCADA system that Telent is developing for Network Rail will be on display via a demonstration workstation.

S03 who may not know of Syntax’s capabilities within the rail market.

The company will be promoting access to national and international talent and job opportunities within rolling stock, signalling and control systems, infrastructure and built environment. Syntax has seen a big increase in demand for its fullymanaged graduate programme, in which it provides a total solution for attracting and securing the best STEM graduates for SME’s through to global market leaders.

At Railtex, Syntax will be taking the opportunity to speak to rail professionals and businesses who are either looking for help in filling vacancies or looking for their next career move.

World-class wiring and electromechanical assemblies Time 24

Time 24 is one of Europe’s most established rail industry contract manufacturers for the supply of wiring harnesses, electromechanical assemblies, control cabinets, cable jumpers and systems integration.

Having provided the wiring and electromechanical assemblies on over 8,000 UK rail carriages and a wide span of rail infrastructure products, the company’s IRISapproved sites in Burgess Hill and the Czech Republic have an impeccable quality record and a 27year pedigree.

Value-adding support services include the provision of on-site contract wiremen, kitting and integration, turnkey design, CAD support, open book costing and bid support.

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Time 24 employs over 250 staff across Europe and supplies a world-class customer base including Bombardier, Siemens, Alstom, Knorr Bremse, Wabtec, Faiveley, Thales and others.

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Find Silver Fox at Railtex 2015 -

Stand B45

RIA12 DC DC Converter Sealed To IP66 Designed for railway applications the R series 20W dc dc converter from Relec Electronics is designed and tested in accordance with RIA12, EN50155 and EN50121. Housed in an IP66 sealed diecast box complete with integral mounting flanges, connections are via robust, keyed, latching Deutsch connectors.

Fox-Flo® UV Stable, LS0H Tie-on labels

Legend™ Non-Shrink Tubing

Test drive Legend™ Heat Shrink Tubing

NEW Labacus Innovator Label Software at Railtex.

Relevant approvals according to type.

Endurance® Modular ID

www.silverfox.co.uk

+44 (0) 1707 37 37 27

sales@silverfox.co.uk

+44 (0) 1707 37 21 93

The input to the converter features a very rugged input filter, with inrush current limitation, reverse polarity protection and automatic recovery built in as standard. Outputs are galvanically isolated from the input supply and are fully open and short circuit proof.

The R series is high efficiency and is convection cooled.

Available in 3 wide input ranges that cover traction battery voltages: 24V; 36V; 48V; 60V; 72V; 80V; 96V & 110Vdc. Output voltages available are: 5V; 12V; 15V & 24Vdc. Its rugged construction and IP66 sealing yet compact size, are also ideal for harsh environment use as encountered in mining and the oil & gas industries. Small volumes are available on very short lead times.

Providing Assurance for the Rail Industry

See us on Stand No. D90 at Railtex 2015 An established market leader for EMC Consultancy, Testing and Training services.

Relec Electronics Ltd Tel: 0800 0599 212

Years of expertise, experience and a solid track record of solving EMC problems and demonstrating EMC for railway projects in the UK and worldwide.

Visit Email Call

www.yorkemc.co.uk enquiry@yorkemc.co.uk +44 (0)1904 324440

e-mail: sales@relec.co.uk

www.relec.co.uk

Design solutions for design engineers AD0010

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Premium steel enhanced performance Tata Steel

Tata Steel is once again the Official Track Sponsor at Railtex ’15. The company is providing and installing sections of its own track in the exhibition hall to form the popular feature known as The Track.

As well as showcasing Tata Steel’s own products, this will provide exhibitors with a unique opportunity to display their innovations in an authentic railway setting. Exhibiting on The Track this year will be cable trough systems suppliers BCM GRC, safety barrier manufacturer Innovative Railway Safety, Rosehill Rail, featuring components for level crossings, and power supplies specialist Schneider Electric.

As well as being the central part of The Track display, Tata Steel will be demonstrating its premium range of rail products designed to reduce wear, rolling contact fatigue, corrosion, noise pollution and

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possession times, responding to its customers’ requirements for lower life-cycle costs.

Among products being promoted will be HP335, its High Performance rail steel which offers improved wear and rolling contact fatigue resistance for enhanced life and reduced grinding frequency.

SilentTrack®, Tata Steel’s tuned rail damper system, which reduces noise levels by 3-6dB(A), providing an elegant solution to comply with noise legislation, will also be on show, as will robust rail coating systems offering superior protection against corrosion for longer life.

The company will highlight its associated services for the rail industry from Tata Steel Projects, ranging from consultancy, design and engineering to manufacture, installation and onsite project management. The company works in partnership with its customers and specially selected partners to deliver high quality, innovative and responsive solutions to meet individual requirements.

THJV, Tata Steel’s joint venture with Halcrow, is part of Network Rail’s Professional Services Support Framework, aiding the early development stages of investment and renewal projects.

Rail training solutions T16

TQ Catalis

TQ Catalis, an NSARE Outstanding Rail training provider, consistently receives nationwide awards for the quality of its training solutions.

As members of the Derby & Derbyshire Rail Forum (DDRF), TQ Catalis will be located on the DDRF Hub on stand T16 at Railtex 2015.

The company’s experienced team will be in attendance to discuss the extensive training courses and services that it provides to both businesses and contractors. These give staff the knowledge, skills and legal certification required to work in rail, while ensuring rail standards and crucial contract deadlines are met in an efficient and safe manner.

TQ designs, develops and delivers training solutions for public and private sector clients in the UK. As

part of Pearson, the world’s largest learning company, the company is committed to improve people’s lives through learning.

Test house shakes things up TRaC Global TRaC Global, the leading test and certification group, will be attending Railtex for the first time this year following the recent expansion of its UK testing capabilities, which can specifically cater for the unique demands of the rail industry.

The Company has recently invested in a new LDS V984 Electromagnetic Shaker at its Warwick testing facility. TRaC Global is one of only two independent testing houses in the UK to offer this large vibration system for shock and vibration testing to replicate the more harsh environmental conditions that rail products might encounter in operation.

A major UKAS accredited group of laboratories offering an extensive range of testing, regulatory and compliance services to the rail

C16 industry, TRaC’s services include: electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing; environmental testing; finite element analysis (FEA); telecoms, radio and wireless testing; and safety assessment and testing with the most comprehensive range of assessment and certification routes available for rail manufacturers, designers, importers, exporters and distributors of rail equipment.

www.tratos.eu

Tratos High-Speed Rail New generation of Enhanced fire resistant cables for High speed rail applications and for traditional railways.

Tratos supplied Freccia Rossa the Italian Railways on the project “Alta Velocità”.

Visit our stand Q30

Tratos Ltd - 10 Eagle Court, London, EC1M 5QD, United Kingdom tel. +44 (0)845 413 9990 e-mail: chris.harris@tratos.co.uk

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Enhanced fire performance cables Q30

Tratos

counterfeit cable entering the UK marketplace.

The first initiative of its kind in the electrical industry, the ACI is direct in its approach to investigate and publicise the findings of cables found to be of poor quality, faulty, counterfeit or non-compliant with British, European or International standards.

Tratos, with five manufacturing facilities in Italy and the UK and worldwide sales offices, is the leading manufacturer of a new generation of enhanced fire performance cables for high-speed rail applications.

Established in the UK since 1981, in recent years Tratos has been investing significantly in new and improved manufacturing and distribution at its facility in Knowsley, Merseyside. Continued investment and development has resulted in a wide range of specialised railway cable solutions in the UK including medium and high voltage cable for use in substations and switchgear, data and telecommunication cable (both copper and fibre optic), signalling power and control cables, OLE cable, track feeder cable, and pantograph and rolling stock cable.

Quality solutions Technological innovation and innovative design form the cornerstone of the Tratos strategy for the rail and mass transit markets, supporting both SMEs and tier one rail-sector companies. The company’s experienced engineers provide solutions to problems whether they occur during planning, design or installation, or indeed throughout the life of a project. They provide novel and cost-effective solutions with cables specifically customised for their intended application.

To monitor and improve the quality of cables within the supply chain and user market, Tratos is a member of the Approved Cables Initiative (ACI), an industry-wide working group with supply chain representative bodies that has been established to address the issue of unsafe, non-approved and

Fire-resistance In Italy, Tratos supplied Frecciarossa, the Italian Railways high-speed programme, with fire-resistant fibre optical cable. The programme required a significant investment in equipment, materials and human resources and, in collaboration with in-house specialcompound manufacturer Tramet, it produced a low smoke, zero halogen optical cable of exceptionally high performance. This then passed the testing requirements of Italferr and IMQ. All Tratos-manufactured cables correspond to industry specifications and quality standards with bespoke solutions to customer’s specific application and approval requirements.

These include Network Rail Group standards and London Underground 1-085 Fire Safety Code of Materials, for Section 12 Stations Sub-Surface Railways.

As a result, the company now has many notable customers within the rail and mass transit markets including Alstom Transport, Bombardier Transportation, CAF Rail, Docklands Light Railway (TfL), London Underground (TfL), RVEL and Thales Rail Signalling Solutions. It is also a member of the Railway Industry Association and the Rail Alliance and is RIQS registered.

Protecting the product In terms of security on the national rail network, Tratos believes cable manufacturers have their part to play, providing a range of options to make cable theft less profitable, increasing traceability of stolen cable by the British Transport Police and thus deterring metal merchants from receiving and re-cycling stolen cable.

Tratos can also improve traceability of stolen conductors through markings - the company offers a range of marking services such as personalised embossed sheaths. Furthermore, both copper and aluminium conductors with strand sizes above 2.0mm diameter can be embossed and the cables can incorporate identity threads registered to the specific manufacturer. The first option allows for a 2.0mm or larger strand to be placed in smaller sized cables with the required resistance/ conductor size being reached with smaller wires. The latter involves placing the thread amongst the copper or aluminium strands.

Both options, even if burned or stripped down to the metal, ensure identification.

In essence, Tratos is at the forefront of innovation in the rail cable market, supported by constant development and investment within its manufacturing facilities.

Leading the World with Fully Optimized Driveline Solutions Featuring DIWARail Transmission DIWARail is a lightweight and fuel-optimized transmission with a fully integrated reversing mechanism. Its wide traction range permits nominal powers of up to 390Â kW, making it the perfect fit for single- or multi-vehicle light railcars. DIWARail is the best-selling hydromechanical transmission in its class.

One of the latest new build projects for DIWARail is the 125 DIWAPacks, including DIWARail transmissions, ordered by the Brazilian company Bom Sinal for commuter railcars, in advance of 2014 Soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games in 2016.

In the UK, Voith Turbo is now in the trial phase of a new Class 158 retrofit project for DIWA Rail transmissions, which will build on the reputation of the hugely successful and highly reliable T 211 hydrodynamic transmission. The advantages of the DIWARail transmission can be combined with complete driveline packages including the engine, cooler group, cardan shafts and wheelsets (supported by RISAS certification). This gives owners and operators the potential for compounded savings in fuel consumption, integration costs and improved reliability.

Only Voith can supply the complete OEM drivetrain from the engine to the wheels, either for new build or retrofit from a single source, using proven high quality components. www.uk.voithturbo.com

Visit us in Birmingham: Booth H 11

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British-made for a British market Trojan Services Trojan Services Ltd, based in East Sussex, will be featuring its awardwinning cable troughing range.

TroTrof is rapidly gaining a reputation for being the first choice for polymer cable housing systems across the UK’s rail network.

Established in 2000, Trojan's British-designed and manufactured products have been specifically created for the UK rail network, making them ideal for full installation programmes. However, the range is still flexible enough to interface with

From design to complete integration N53

existing concrete troughs and lids.

Made from recycled polymer, TroTrof's patented technology has been specifically developed in collaboration with UK engineers to address cable-housing problems faced by the industry.

At just 17kg per unit, TroTrof is compliant with HSE manual handling guidelines, yet strong enough to withstand weights of up to 20 tonnes. Easy to cut, which emits no dust or smoke, TroTrof’s lightweight properties make it more cost-effective than its concrete equivalents.

Trojan is also exhibiting TroTred, an authorised 700mm-wide walkway and cable trough combination, and TroBord - a durable light-weight alternative to concrete ballast boards.

Voith Turbo Voith’s Railtex 2015 theme builds on the company’s success as one of the world’s leading rolling stock component and system suppliers.

Voith’s core product range includes couplers, vehicle front ends, complete driveline technology and cooling systems. Voith can deliver, from a single source, the customer’s requirements from design and manufacture through to complete integration.

On the stand, Voith will be

H11 exhibiting their successful DIWARail hydro-mechanical transmission, the low maintenance One4 coupler as well as the classic Wedgelock coupler. In addition, there will be an example of Voith’s unique one million mile cardan shaft as well as an SK455 gear unit.

In addition to its component and system overhaul facility based in Greenford UK, Voith will be presenting its newly-created Rail Vehicle Service Centre located in Kiel, Germany. This modern, self-contained, facility can handle specialist ‘design and build’ projects through to complete train or locomotive upgrades, repairs, repaints and overhauls - all supported by staff expert in all aspects of train systems and construction.

Innovation brings Connecting buyers, suppliers and customers efficiency and cost savings Welsh Government The Welsh Government’s dedicated supply chain development team works across varying industry sectors to support a connected industry network throughout Wales, the wider UK and overseas. It will work to connect companies with suppliers, customers, academic support, training and financial services.

During 2014, the supply chain team offered over 220 companies the opportunity to meet rail industry leaders. Procurement directors from OEMs such as Bombardier, Alstom

H41 and Hitachi provided access to an extensive trade mission programme, enabling Wales-based businesses to maximise their international business profile.

The supply chain team can also assist in identifying local sources for raw material needs, along with any industry accreditations required, supporting companies, where possible, to acquire those accreditations.

For some tailored supply chain support from Wales, just Ask Wales at stand H41.

ZF Services UK ZF will showcase the technologies behind two innovative transmissions that offer improved performance along with significant fuel and energy savings.

Steve Brew, Project Manager Sales and Technical Acquisitions for ZF Friedrichshafen AG, will be

L41 presenting the latest results of a trial for South West Trains and Porterbrook Leasing which returned savings averaging 17% in diesel fuel costs.

The reduction was achieved when conventional hydrodynamic units on a two-car Class 158 DMU in passenger service were replaced by two ZF Ecomat Rail automatic reversing transmissions.

Also creating excitement will be ZF’s Get2 Rail Drive concept, the world’s first multi-speed transmission for Electric Multiple Units (EMUs).

It features the addition of a second, starting gear which when coupled with other ZF advances can deliver energy savings of up to five per cent.

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On point for shunter safety Zonegreen

There is no doubt that the rail industry is a potentially dangerous place to work. After all, there are not many industries that expect employees to deal with high voltage electricity, speeding vehicles, powerful machinery and thousands of members of the public on a daily basis.

Mark Carne, Network Rail chief executive, recently told leading rail industry figures that about 600 railway workers a year were hurt badly enough to need the next day off - about 10 times the rate in comparable industries.

Risk and effect Shunters are very much ‘on the ground’, working in the thick of the action. The latest RSSB report showed that the rates of shunter fatalities and RIDDOR-reportable injuries suggest a significantly higher level of risk than other workforce groups.

Occupational health risks that such a job entails are great.

Operating heavy manual points, sometimes when standing on an uneven surface or working in poor conditions, could lead to lasting damage to the back, neck or shoulders, which not only causes the employee suffering and lost working days, but could also lead to a more serious accident.

W10

Shunters experience a RIDDORreportable injury rate of over 20 per 1000 workers per year, compared to only around 7 per 1000 train drivers, and 10 per 1000 track workers.

Considering the safety requirements that are put into place across the rail network, it seems unreal that this very high figure is possible in this day and age.

Research has shown that 25% of the accidents that caused shunters to lose working days were attributed to slips, trips and falls sustained whilst moving between work areas.

Of course, part of the shunter’s job can require them to move about in the depot in order to operate hand points and switches. Negotiating rails, ballast, cabling and potential hazards that may be in their way is an occupational hazard and, whilst shunters still have to move around in the depot, these dangers will remain.

Solving the problem One of the simplest ways to improve safety is to remove individuals from dangerous situations. Recent advances in technology now offer the opportunity to reduce the dangers faced by shunters, with the implementation of systems such as Zonegreen’s Points Converter.

The system has been designed to increase railway depot and sidings safety, allowing the automation and remote operation of manual hand point/switches. It can be controlled by an operator using a remote handset or central computer system, removing the need for an individual to have to negotiate difficult terrain, rails or other potential hazards, thus minimising the risk of slips, trips and falls.

Such a system allows the shunter to operate the points from a safe distance, thus reducing risk and

lowering the accident rate.

As well as assisting in the prevention of such accidents, the Points Converter also greatly reduces the significant physical strains that shunters face with regards to operating points manually and the lasting damage this can have on the body, particularly the back and neck, by automating the process.

converter powering your manual points

© TfL from the London Transport Museum collection

Yesterday’s news

The Zonegreen Points Converter is a safe, efficient and reliable solution designed for modern train care facilities. The Converter allows the automation and remote operation of traditional manual points/switches and rail road crossings.

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Enhanced safety by reducing the potential for slips, trips and falls.

Removes the need for excessive manual

handling, reducing the risk of injury Fully EMC Tested

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Expandable. Routes can be pre-set, re-

configured and upgraded at any time.

Traceability. Includes an event logging system to keep a record of the points operation.

Low cost and simple to operate.

Find out more at www.zonegreen.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)114 230 0822 Fax: +44 (0)871 872 0349 Email: info@zonegreen.co.uk

138

Rail Engineer • May 2015

RECRUITMENT

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- Be responsible for monitoring margins on all rail projects.

- Liaise closely with rail customers and working with the Directors be involved in driving all commercial and legal negotiations and develop strong relationships and bonds with clients.

- Work closely with and develop our Rail Component supply chain both nationally and globally.

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- Communicate and manage customer schedules and advise on capacity requirements.

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